Book Review :: NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls is a new journaling Bible on the block, and it is a great one! (If you haven't seen my review of the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible or my flip-through of the NIV Beautiful Word Bible, be sure to check those out to get a background on this series of journaling Bibles.) 

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls comes in a variety of cover options, but for this review I looked specifically at the teal hardcover. The teal on the Leathersoft™ cover has a subtle shimmer that does not rub off. (The white and pink/coral accents on the cover do not shimmer.) The pages are white with rounded corners and a pinkish-purple ribbon bookmark is attached.

What makes this a "for Girls" Bible? A little bit of text on the spine, on the cardstock slipcover, and on the copyright page. Besides more playful cover options, that's it. I am not a young girl and I will most likely be keeping this one for myself.  

In the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls, there are 500 verses featured in line art illustrations throughout the wide margins (and some on full pages) of the Bible. The line art is generally done in all black, but there are some illustrations that have both black and gray lines. There is also some artwork that has some very light/thin lines, which in my opinion will likely be hard to color...but the vast majority have a bold line weight. 

If you have seen the Beautiful Word Bible in a full-color version or in the original coloring version, I just want to point out that while the verses that are illustrated are the same, the art is not all the same. Also to note, while the Beautiful Word Bible in a full-color version has colored text headers, the coloring versions have all black text (including the headers). All versions are single column with wide margins. (Margins are lined where art is not present.)

Somewhere around half of the illustrations in the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls are identical to the original coloring version. I counted in the first 6 books of the Bible and out of 74 illustrations, 33 are the same and 41 are different. In general, there are more bold/modern illustrations in the "for Girls" version - and in my personal opinion most of them are an improvement. (The illustrations are all in the same location as the originals.)

You may also be curious how the Beautiful Word Coloring Bibles compare to the Inspire Bible that has been so popular as a coloring Bible. In my opinion, the Inspire Bible has more detailed illustrations (very flowery and traditionally beautiful) and the Beautiful Word Coloring Bibles have more of a trendy art style. Whichever art style you prefer is going to make a difference in which Bible you might enjoy most for your creative worship time. (If you have a strong preference for a particular Bible translation, that will obviously make a difference as well.)

If you are looking for a journaling Bible and like the idea of having art to color in, definitely check out the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through their book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Find all my posts pertaining to Bible art or journaling here.

Looking for great stamps to use for Bible journaling? Check out Ink Blot Shop, LLC!

Book Review :: The Books of the Bible: My Bible Story Coloring Book

The Books of the Bible: My Bible Story Coloring Book is a unique coloring book. It is a coloring book, yes, but it also includes a good portion of the Biblical stories (taken from the NIrV Bible translation). It is like a 2-in-1 storybook & coloring book.

As a coloring book, The Books of the Bible: My Bible Story Coloring Book is a great one. The pages are smooth and white - a good (heavy) stock for coloring. The images to color are very full - not stand-alone images on a page, but rather full scenes that span each 2-page spread. 

What I don't think is clear in the description of The Books of the Bible: My Bible Story Coloring Book is that the text of the stories is basically the NIrV Bible, abridged. (I know it mentions that they are "taken" from the NIrV, but it is actually the NIrV text, just chopped up to make it shorter.) The exact location of the text is not given (I wish it were), but, for example, I looked up the text from "Moses and the Fiery Lawgiving" and saw that it is a compilation directly quoted from Deuteronomy 5:1b-5, 6:20-21, 6:24, 7:7a, and 7:8b (NIrV). Of course, some details of the stories are lost with this method, but the basics are included.  

The Books of the Bible: My Bible Story Coloring Book contains 4 sections with 8 stories per section (for a total of 32 stories). The 4 sections are: Covenant History, Prophets, Writings, and New Testament. Each story includes 4+ pages of a mixture of text and line art to color. (Most stories have one full page without text - just for coloring.) There is a good amount of text given in each story. What I especially appreciated was the variety of stories and topics that are included - many that aren't generally found in Bible storybooks. 

I found The Books of the Bible: My Bible Story Coloring Book to be a really great book - it's a unique 2-in-1 that can span a variety of ages. I definitely recommend it! 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through their book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Promises for You Coloring Devotional: 60 Days Discovering God's Hope & Love by Faithgirlz

The Promises for You Coloring Devotional is a new coloring devotional from Faithgirlz. It is a hardcover book with some foil accents on the cover to add a little extra pizzazz. The pages in the Promises for You Coloring Devotional are a nice, thick weight - cardstock, basically. The weight of the pages will be an advantage for certain coloring mediums. 

The Promises for You Coloring Devotional contains 60 devotionals in total, with 12 each according to certain promise topics. 

The topics are:

- Promises of Strength, Courage, and Hope

- Promises of Forgiveness, Comfort, and Safety

- Promises of Truth, Wisdom, and Beauty

- Promises of Faith, Trust, and Joy

- Promises of Gifts and Blessings

Each devotional has the same basic format - a verse, a few sentences on the topic including a short prompt, and some lines to respond with thoughts and/or prayers. And of course there are plenty of images to color. The images range from patterns and swirls to plants and animals...and a few delicious treats are thrown into the mix, too.

My 13 year old daughter took a peek at the Promises for You Coloring Devotional and she felt that the devotional portions of this book were too short. She also recognized that some of the artwork had been duplicated from other Zondervan/Zonderkidz coloring books that we own. With that said, I know she will still enjoy this book, and she can use it as a jumping off point to dive deeper into God's word.

In my opinion, this devotional is a coloring book with a boost - and a great choice for any tween or teen girl.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through their book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: NIV Wonders of Creation Holy Bible

The Wonders of Creation Holy Bible is a new Bible to the market that pulls in some of the open artwork from the Wonders of Creation coloring book. 

I loved the Wonders of Creation coloring book, and was so excited to see this Bible version come out. I must say, though, that I expected more. I was hoping that this Bible would be done in a journaling Bible style (with wide margins and some artwork here and there among the margin space), but that is not what happened. This is basically a standard hardcover Bible with some thicker pages inserted every once in awhile (in no apparent order) that are able to be colored in. The Bible text is in a two column format, with all black text (including the words of Christ). The test is standard size (not large but not super tiny).

With that said, I do love the artwork (taken from the Wonders of Creation coloring book) and think this could be a great introduction for kids into the merging of the Bible and art. The artwork is beautiful as is and doesn't need to be colored in, but that is definitely where some of the excitement for this Bible comes in. 

The Wonders of Creation Holy Bible is a neat idea and is definitely worth looking into, but if you are looking for a journaling-style Bible for kids, this is not it. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: All Is Bright: A Devotional Journey To Color Your Way To Christmas by Nancy Guthrie, illustrated by Lizzie Preston

All Is Bright is a beautiful coloring book for the Advent/Christmas season - but it's not just a coloring book...it's a devotional, too! The beauty starts on the outside of All Is Bright with a cover accented with gold foil. (It's part of a beautiful line of books and Bibles from Tyndale - the Living Expressions Collection.)

Inside of All Is Bright, you will find 31 devotionals (for each day in December) on the left of each page opening with a coordinating coloring page on the right. The devotional pages have little accents that are great for coloring, too.

The illustrations in All Is Bright are detailed - great for spending some quality coloring time while thinking about the devotional for the day.

But there's more! (I'm feeling like an info-mercial, but I really was impressed at how much is packed in here.) After the devotional section of All Is Bright, there is a section with 12 family activities (each with a verse, some "discussion starters", and a prayer). and then 12 additional coloring pages. Each of these coloring pages are done in a similar style to the devotional coloring pages, but simplified (not so much detail) - perfect for kids. 

I love that All Is Bright combines devotions, coloring, and involving the family/kids. I definitely recommend adding All Is Bright to your Advent activities.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the Tyndale Blog Network - a book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Find all my posts pertaining to Bible art or journaling here.

Book Review :: NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible is a new journaling Bible on the market, and a beautiful one at that. 

You may have seen the Beautiful Word Bible in a full-color version previously and thought that it would be great if you could add more of your own personal touches, and this coloring version allows just that. 

In the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible, there are 500 verses featured in line art illustrations throughout the margins (and some on full pages) of the Bible. The line art is generally done in all black, but there are some illustrations that have both black and gray lines. There is also some artwork that has some very light/thin lines, which in my opinion will likely be hard to color...but the majority are a good line weight. 

If you have seen the Beautiful Word Bible in a full-color version, I just want to point out that while the verses that are illustrated may be the same (I only have a sample version of the Beautiful Word Bible to compare), the art is not all the same. Also to note, while the Beautiful Word Bible in a full-color version has colored text headers, this coloring version has all black text (including the headers). Both versions are single column.

You may also be curious how the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible compares to the Inspire Bible that has been so popular as a coloring Bible. In my opinion, the Inspire Bible has more detailed illustrations (very flowery and traditionally beautiful) and the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible has more of a trendy art style. Whichever art style you prefer is going to make a difference in which Bible you might enjoy most for your creative worship time. (If you have a strong preference for a particular Bible translation, that will obviously make a difference as well.)

If you are looking for a journaling Bible and like the idea of having art to color in, definitely check out the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible.

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Find all my posts pertaining to Bible art or journaling here.

Looking for great stamps to use for Bible journaling? Check out Ink Blot Shop, LLC!

Book Review :: Gratitude: A Prayer and Praise Coloring Journal

I usually wait until the end of a review to sum up how I feel about a book, but I am just going to say it up front: the new Gratitude Coloring Journal is fantastic. 

The Gratitude Coloring Journal is sold as a hardcover, but the cover is pretty unique. It is like a paperback book with two hardcover panels on the front and back covers. The corners on the open edges of the book have rounded corners. This unique cover treatment means that the spine is smaller than the open edges of the book. This cover treatment creates a sturdy cover with the flexibility to be able to lay the book open where the pages lay almost flat (perfect for getting into all the nooks and crannies when you are coloring).

The cover is not the only unique part of the Gratitude Coloring Journal. It is also unique in how it approaches the "coloring book" portion of the pages. The Gratitude Coloring Journal isn't all black and white line art as you would find in most coloring books. Some pages have colored backgrounds with black and white line art to color in, some have partially colored designs on the pages (you can fill in the rest), some have colored lines for the artwork (instead of plain black lines), and there are a few pages included where there is nothing obvious to be colored in (the pages look finished with lots of color already). The styling and artwork is just beautiful, and if you choose not to color anything in it will still be pretty to look at.

The Gratitude Coloring Journal uses 2-page spreads for each day. Most of the 2-page spreads feature a short (one paragraph) prompt that is written from the perspective of being to God, from the reader (much like a prayer). These are very short, but still very thought provoking. Like a 30-second kick in the pants. There is also a verse (or verses) to read and some lines to write/respond. The Gratitude Coloring Journal has 41 of the 2-page spreads described above. After a set of three of the previously described 2-page spreads, there is a 2-page spread with a different approach. These spreads have some open, unlined space and a simple prompt/idea on how to use it (some variation of collage, writing, and/or drawing). There are 13 of these spreads. At the end of the Gratitude Coloring Journal is one lined page for notes. If you do one entry per day, this book will take you just under 2 months to complete. 

I have been really impressed with the Gratitude Coloring Journal - inside and out. It is a great book to purchase for yourself or to give as a gift. (I would love to give a copy to each of my friends.) 

Definitely five stars. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Garden of Eden (coloring book)

Coloring books are great for everyone from 1 to 100 and Zondervan has come out with a new one called Garden of Eden. 

As you might imagine, the Garden of Eden coloring book is filled with images of flowers, plants, and animals (and Adam and Eve). There are verses from Genesis chapters 1-3 spread throughout the coloring book that go along with the images. Some of the pages feature full scenes (many on two-page spreads), while others are just a single animal or a pattern made up of smaller images. The images are printed on both sides of the pages, so if you were wanting to color something for framing you would need to make a decision on which side to use.

As I mentioned in a review for another coloring book put out by Zondervan, I noticed a few layering/design inconsistencies in the artwork that I would have preferred not to see in a coloring book put out by a major publishing house. I may have only noticed them because I work with digital design software, but I wanted to mention it just incase.

All in all, I think the Garden of Eden coloring book is a great choice and would even be a great addition to a homeschooling unit on creation. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Inspire Bible - LARGE Print Edition, NLT

If you've been wanting to try Bible art & journaling but need the Bible font to be a bit easier on the eyes - you are in luck! The Inspire Bible Large Print Edition is now available!

(If you haven't read my review for the original edition of the Inspire Bible, please take a minute to check it out.)

The Inspire Bible Large Print Edition is not only larger print, but also measures larger overall (thickness, height, and width) than the original. The hardcover on the Inspire Bible Large Print Edition is more blue than the teal cover of the standard print hardcover, and the decorative edges of the pages are more blue than teal as well.

To really get a feel for this Bible (and the other versions of the Inspire Bible), please check out my comparison video:

(And if you haven't seen my original flip-through video for the standard print Inspire Bible, please be sure to check it out.)

When I say I like the Inspire Bible, it's true. Not only am I enjoying mine, but my daughter also bought one after seeing mine and we've given some as gifts to friends and family, too. I absolutely recommend the Inspire Bible (standard print or large print).

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Wonderland: A Coloring Book Inspired By Alice's Adventures by Amily Shen

Wonderland is a new coloring book for adults (or kids!) inspired by the popular story/theme of Alice in Wonderland.

Wonderland measures approximately 9 7/8" x 9 7/8" and is just under 3/8" thick. Wonderland has a paperback cover with a colorful dust jacket. The dust jacket has the cover image shown in the product preview (with the tea party scene and the Cheshire cat), and has black and white line art on the inside of the dust jacket - more to color! The paperback cover is a solid peachy color with black line art illustrations of the Queen's cards, roses, flamingos...and some cute hedgehogs. 

Inside, Wonderland has sections of the story, each a few paragraphs long. The story is written in the first person, as if the reader is Alice. I love the art in Wonderland, but honestly I would prefer it without the story portion. I think the story is known well-enough that the art could be understood without it. 

The art in Wonderland is very cute and has lots of great details to color. It is definitely a great coloring book for adults (or kids). 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Wonders of Creation: Illustrations to Color and Inspire

Wonders of Creation is such a fantastic coloring book! From first glance, it is sure to catch your eye with the cheerful, foil-accented cover. Looking inside, you will find nice, thick pages with wonderful line art illustrations to color in. There is one opening with some introductory text, but otherwise the book is filled with pictures only. 

The art is fantastic, and I particularly love the animals that are done in an almost Dutch folk art style. 

I love the wide variety of animals available to color. You will find typical creatures such as birds, butterflies, frogs, and fish in the pages of Wonders of Creation, but you will also find not-so-typical animals such as rhinos, a sloth, a platypus, and an armadillo.

With the wide variety of animals and variation in art style and complexity, I think that Wonders of Creation is a fantastic choice for a coloring book for an adult (or child) - male or female.

It is truly a beautiful coloring book and I can't wait to dive in and color!

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.