I recently bought M.C.A. Hogarth's The Jokka Coloring Book, so of course I had to get myself some crayons. I went all out and got a box of 120 different colors, because why not? This post (see my original blog post, linked below) includes my first two attempts at using them. My favorite is the first picture. My scarlet crayon is magical.

It feels a little odd to review a coloring book, but I try to review as much of my entertainment as possible, so here goes. This book has 22 pages total (counting the title page, which has a small picture you could color). There are 17 full-page line drawings, two of which I've shown here.

Four pages are informational or activity pages. One page has a couple paragraphs on the three Jokka sexes (neuter, female, and male), plus illustrations of each. One page has information about coloring the Jokka, which basically boils down to “have fun, and color them however you want.” There are a couple small line drawings on that page as well. The last page identifies which characters in the coloring book pages come from specific Jokka stories. (ETA: Whoops, forgot one! There's also an activity page where you can write your name using the Jokka alphabet.)

The character page and info on Jokka sexes made me want to try these stories and books, so they're now on my TBR. The coloring book itself has been fun to use, and I've been getting a kick out of sorting through my crayons and selecting colors (“almond,” “pink sherbert,” “unmellow yellow,” and so many more!). My only complaint is that some parts of the illustrations are so tiny, and my crayon tips, even when they're at their sharpest, cannot stay between the lines. Much woe! But I'm learning to accept and enjoy coloring outside the lines every once in a while.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )