Got adult coloring books? The millions of copies of adult coloring books that have been sold in the past four years proves that the joy, excitement, and memories of this uncomplicated childhood pleasure really have no age limit. Before publishers got in on the craze, coloring groups had been meeting for years. But now, there are books galore to color with everything from crayons, colored pencils, or watercolors. Come see some on the BookCon convention floor, and participate in the related activities.
CHRONICLE At Chronicle’s Coloring Station (booths 2100, 2101), show goers will find coloring supplies and postcards featuring artwork from the bestselling Fantastic Cities: A Coloring Book of Amazing Places Real and Imagined, featuring artist Steve McDonald’s detailed line drawings. Also available will be postcards to color, from McDonald’s Fantastic Structures: A Coloring Book of Amazing Buildings Real and Imagined, and Journey in Color: French Baroque and Journey in Color: Moroccan Motifs, both by artist Molly Hatch. Coloring books will be available for sale at a 30% discount, and every purchase comes with a free 2016 Chronicle Books tote bag.
CORNELL LAB PUBLISHING GROUP For those who love birds, Cornell Lab Publishing Group’s booth (2163) is the place to be. The recently launched venture celebrates the “science behind the fun,” says its CEO and president Brian Sockin. This August the press will release two coloring books, America’s Favorite Birds: 40 Beautiful Birds to Color, which features species chosen from 250,000 votes by birders across North America; and Birds of Paradise: A Coloring Expedition by the original expedition team leader and National Geographic photographer of the world-renowned Birds of Paradise expeditions, Tim Laman. Visit the booth to take home a free coloring page from one of these books.
INSIGHT EDITIONS As the creators of the New York Times–bestselling Harry Potter Coloring Book, Insight Editions is launching its own coloring program with the release of five coloring books this year: DC Comics Coloring Book; Supernatural: The Official Coloring Book; DC Comics: Wonder Woman Coloring Book; Dinosaurs: A Coloring Book by William Stout; and Assassin’s Creed: The Official Coloring Book. Insight’s booth (2122) will feature a giant spread from one of the company’s coloring books that everyone can contribute to, as well as giveaways of sample pages from forthcoming coloring books.
SCHIFFER Schiffer is promoting Painterly Days, a new adult watercoloring series by artist Kristy Rice, which includes three books: The Flower Watercoloring Book; The Pattern Watercoloring Book; and The Woodland Watercoloring Book. Rice will be doing in-booth painting demos, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3–6 p.m. The first 300 booth visitors will receive watercoloring pages featuring Rice’s designs on high-quality paper. Show goers can also enter to win one of the three watercoloring books along with a set of paints by sharing photos from the demo on social media and tagging @SchifferPublishing on Facebook and Instagram, @SchifferBooks on Twitter; artist KristyRice.com on Facebook, @RiceInk on Twitter, and @kristythepainter on Instagram; and use the hashtags #PainterlyDays and #BEA16.
This article appeared in the May 14, 2016 edition of PW BEA Show Daily.
