Coloring Books

Art purists are apt to criticize the use of coloring books as one more step in the democratization of art. Which is a fair criticism—coloring books were developed in the late-19th century as a means for bringing art instruction to the broader populace. The idea was that everyone, not just the elite or well-educated, could stand to benefit from learning basic art principles, and coloring books were a great place to start.

Or "paint books" as they were also called. Developers of the new medium used it to teach both children and adults concepts like coloring, tinting, shading, etc., with the intent of helping them toward greater understanding, and therefore increased appreciation and use of hidden talents. The only people who would complain about something as nice as that are codgers and snobs.

There have been plenty of both, but that hasn't stopped the spread and evolution of coloring books from a form of art instruction to an art form in their own right. Dover Coloring Books, for instance, are beautiful to look at even before they're colored in. Not that the initial intent of coloring books has been forgotten: the number of kids who've learned to draw because they first learned to stay in the lines is doubtless staggering.

We're all for the "democratization of art" insofar as it is represented by coloring books. Edith Schaeffer, in the book The Hidden Art of Homemaking, makes a biblical case for each Christian discovering and putting to good use the creative talents God has given them as part of creating man in His own image. Coloring books can and do help many find their hidden talent.

At Exodus Books, no one wants to be assigned the Coloring Books section during year-end inventory because we have so many of them. At over 500 titles, we think we have the biggest selection in Oregon—and we're always adding more. They're getting easier and more fun to browse as we continue to arrange and rearrange and re-rearrange the area, coming up with better ways to organize and display each title. Have fun browsing, and don't be shy about picking up some pencils and a coloring book no matter what your age and talents.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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58 Items found Print
Active Filters: Used Books & Materials
159 Celtic Designs
by Amy Lusebrink
from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Airplanes of the Second World War - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Carlo Demand
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$5.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Ancient Near East - Coloring Book
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-9th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Bach Book
by Victoria Tierney & Crystal Landucci
from Oregon Coast Music Association
for 2nd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Billy Yank - Coloring Book
by Alan Archambault
from Bellerophon Books
Coloring Book for 4th-8th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$4.95 $3.50 (2 in stock)
Byzantine Fashions - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Castles Stained Glass - Coloring Book
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fine Art Coloring Books (Location: COL-ART)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Cathedral Stained Glass - Coloring Book
by Ed Sibbett Jr.
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fine Art Coloring Books (Location: COL-ART)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Celtic Blessings
from Paraclete Press
for 6th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Color and Learn: Native America
Color & Learn
by Elizabeth Adams
from Educators Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Color Yourself Smart: Human Anatomy
by Wendy L. Leonard, illustrations by Philip Ferguson Jones
from Thunder Bay Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Coloring Book of American Indians
from Bellerophon Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Native American Coloring Books (Location: COL-NAM)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Coloring Book of Ancient Egypt
by Bellerophon Books
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Coloring Book of Ancient India
by Bellerophon Books, Nancy Conkle
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-6th grade
in India (Location: HISMC-IND)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Coloring Book of Early Composers
by Eric Tomb & Nancy Conkle
from Bellerophon Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$4.95 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Coloring Book of Great Composers Book 2
by David Brownell & Nancy Conkle
from Bellerophon Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Coloring Book of Great Composers Book 3
by David Brownell & Nancy Conkle
from Bellerophon Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Coloring Book of Incas, Aztecs & Mayas
from Bellerophon Books
for 1st-5th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Coloring Book of Queen Nefertiti
by Bellerophon Books
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$3.50 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Coloring Book of Rome
by Bellerophon Books, Nancy Conkle
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$3.00 (3 in stock)
Coloring Book of the Civil War
from Bellerophon Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Columbus Discovers America - Coloring Book
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$4.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
Creative Haven Abstract Designs - Coloring Book
Creative Haven
by Brian Johnson
Csm from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Discovering Hope in the Psalms
by Pam Farrel, Jean E. Jones, Karla Dornacher
from Harvest House
for Adult
in Bible Reading & Study (Location: XBI-STUDY)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring the Solar System - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Bruce LaFontaine
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Space Coloring Books (Location: COL-SPACE)
$5.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
French Baroque and Rococo Fashions - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Heroes of the American Revolution
by David Brownell
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Historic Sailing Ships - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Tre Tryckare Company
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
History of Flight - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Transportation Coloring Books (Location: COL-TRANS)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Impressionist Art Masterpieces to Color
by Marty Noble
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Fine Art Coloring Books (Location: COL-ART)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Johnny Reb - Coloring Book
by Alan Archambault
from Bellerophon Books
Coloring Book for 4th-8th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Knights & Heraldry Coloring Book
by Bellerophon Herald (gathered by)
from Bellerophon Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Let's Look Inside a Tepee
by Betsy Warren
from RanchGate
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Life in Celtic Times - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by A. G. Smith & William Kaufman
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of the World Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISW)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Life in Old Japan - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by John Green
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of the World Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISW)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Marine Biology - Coloring Book
by Thomas M. Niesen
from Harper Perennial
for 4th-6th grade
in Sharks & Fishes (Location: SCI-FISH)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
My First Book About Physics Coloring Book
by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
My First Book About Weather Coloring Book
by Donald M. Silver & Patricia J. Wynne
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Nature / Geography Coloring Books (Location: COL-NAT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
New England Soldiers of the American Revolution
by Marko Zlatich, Illustrations by Donna Neary
from Bellerophon Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Northeast Indians - Coloring Book
by Peter M. Spizzirri
from Spizzirri Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Native American Coloring Books (Location: COL-NAM)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Ojibway Indians - Coloring Book
by Chet Kozlak
from Minnesota Historical Society Press
for 3rd-9th grade
in Native American Coloring Books (Location: COL-NAM)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Old Ship Figureheads - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by John Batchelor
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of the World Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISW)
$3.95 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Peterson Field Guide Coloring Book: Forests
Peterson Field Guide Coloring Books
by John C. Kricher, Sara Bennett
from Houghton Mifflin
for 4th-6th grade
in Forests & Mountains (Location: SCI-FOREST)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Peterson Field Guide: Reptiles and Amphibians - Coloring Book
by Sarah Anne Hughes, consulting editors Robert Stebbins and Roger Conant
from Houghton Mifflin
for 4th-7th grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Pinocchio - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Simon Galkin
from Dover Publications
Coloring Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Plains Indians - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by David Rickman
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Native American Coloring Books (Location: COL-NAM)
$4.99 $2.50 (3 in stock)
Queen Elizabeth I - Paper Dolls to Color
from Bellerophon Books
in Miscellaneous Coloring Books (Location: COL-MISC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Renaissance - Coloring Book
from Bellerophon Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Rip Van Winkle - Coloring Book
by A. Rackham, P. Stewart, W. Irving
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Rosie & the Bear Flag
by Harry Knill
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Ruth Heller's Designs for Coloring: Ancient Egypt
by Ruth Heller
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$4.00 (3 in stock)
Satellites - Coloring Book
Educational Read & Color Books
by Peter & Linda Spizzirri
from Spizzirri Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Space Coloring Books (Location: COL-SPACE)
$3.95 $2.00 (1 in stock)
Shakespeare Coloring Book
by Bellerophon Books
from Bellerophon Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Shakespeare Coloring Book
from Bellerophon Books
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Shipwrecks and Sunken Treasures - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of the World Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISW)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
South Pacific Seafarers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of the World Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISW)
$3.95 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Start Exploring the American West
by Emmanuel M. Kramer, illustrated by Helen I. Driggs
from Running Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Zoology Coloring Book
by Lawrence M. Elson
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 9th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$24.99 $14.00 (1 in stock)