Big and Little Coloring Devotion by Rachel Swanson and Jacy Corral (book review)

Growing up, my sisters and I colored all the time. We used to color really dark by the black lines and then lighter on the inside. I'm sure we thought it was so cool! I remember much of my childhood, even in to college, spotted with memories of coloring. And melted crayons on back windows of cars...oops.

image via B&H

My sons enjoyed coloring when they were smaller, or at least my second son did. My older son has always been the kid that chooses one color – red – and colors the entire picture of that color in a few fell swoops. He's in 5th grade now and does a much better job but it's not his natural bent. 

I naturally assumed when I had my daughter, that she would love coloring. Don't all girls? OK, that is probably not true but my girl does enjoy coloring. Her preferred medium is markers, and her preferred surface is her arms and legs. I generally keep the markers high. 

Regardless of her toddler-esque coloring habits, I do enjoy coloring with her. The Big and Little Coloring Devotional book is such a sweet idea. A beautiful picture for her to color and a beautiful picture for me to color. The adult side of the coloring book has a small devotional, one or two paragraphs. The picture is more intricate and detailed; harder and more time-consuming.

I started to color this intricate lion page but didn't get far in one sitting

Princess and I have had fun coloring a few of the pages out of this book, but I actually prefer the less intricate pages of the book. I find this with every adult coloring book; that the designs are too intricate, too complicated, and take more than one sitting to finish. I do not have time to color these pages, but I do have time to color the children pages.  The adult pages make me feel like it's an impossible task; the children pages are an easier thing to finish. I enjoy those pages with their simple verse and beautiful drawings.

A friend of mine spend an evening coloring with her middle school daughter a few weeks ago, and I think this book would be perfect for that same kind of time but these children pages are more geared toward upper elementary or junior high. Since I enjoy the children pages a little more, I even let Princess color the adult page while I read the devotional upside down and colored the child page. It worked for us.

my child page on top; Princess scribbled on the adult page

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in order to write an honest review. Others' opinions may differ from my own.