4 Adult Coloring Books You Won't Want to Miss

As the days grow shorter in the Northern Hemisphere and the temperatures cool, it will soon be time for more indoor activities, including adult coloring (while listening to an audiobook, of course!) And if you live south of the Equator, no fear . . . you can color out on your deck or porch or while sitting by the pool.

Here are four coloring book to get you started. (Click on the images to see them more clearly.)

Johanna Basford is known for her intricate, fanciful drawings, each of which is includes a treasure. In Magical Jungle, you'll find monkeys, butterflies, frogs, and more hidden in the leafy pages. Basford has been dubbed "the queen of coloring," and this book strengthens her reign. I particularly like the tiger face, which is one of the simpler coloring pages. (From Penguin Books, August 2016)

Wendy Piersall has taken the idea of an adult coloring book to a new level with her Coloring Flower Mandala Postcards. The pullout pages are printed on sturdy card stock, which can be sent through the mail. One side has a lovely mandala for you to color in and other side has a space for the name and address, the stamp, and even a spot for some extra decoration. I know quite a few of you are in postcard or snail mail groups, and I think these pretty cards are a nice change from store bought. Don't do a lot of snail mail? Use these mandalas as gift cards, as thank-yous, as pretty little extras in lunch boxes, or to decorate your office instead of popping them in the mail. (From Ulysses Press, May 2016)

Sometimes all those tiny spaces and intricate drawings can be intimidating, especially for people new to adult coloring. Creative Escape's Country Life coloring book takes a simpler approach. Each perforated page contains a rural scene depicting animals, vistas, forests, and farm life. Besides the black and white coloring pages, the book also shows examples of finished drawings. I really love this ocean scene (sorry for poor photo). (From Racehorse Publishing, September 2016)

Adult coloring reaches a new dimension with Daria Song's stories through art books. In The Night Voyage, a little girl falls asleep on the night before her birthday and dreams of adventures and presents and fanciful creatures. As with Song's other coloring books, the drawings are beautiful and spark one's imagination. Dare to dream! (From Crown Publishing, August 2016)