by Patty Vadalia
Published by KVR Classics LLC on September 2017
Style: charitable works, Perforated pages, single page illustrations
Pages: 80
Format: Glue Binding
I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the product or the content of my review.
Blue Willow – A Coloring Book Story is based on the 200 year old story of forbidden love depicted on the classic Blue Willow China Pattern. You will discover something wonderful in this high quality adult coloring book! An old fashioned story of forbidden love, found in the Blue Willow china pattern, unfolds as you color the pages.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the product. If you buy a book using that link, I will receive a small commission. This does not affect the price that you pay. Your support is very much appreciated x
Blue Willow – Coloring Book Video Review
I hope you enjoyed the video review of Blue Willow – A Coloring Book Story by Patty Vadalia.
Subscribe to my You Tube channel and never miss a coloring book review.
Check out our coloring community on Facebook here
Blue Willow – Coloring Book  Review
When I was asked to review Blue Willow – A Coloring Book Story my first reaction was to say no. Not because I didn’t like the book but because my stack of reviews to do is bigger than Ben Hur, with no sign of dwindling.  However, as soon as I checked out the book I realised it was Blue Willow china.
I’ve been a collector of things for a long time now, different types of things. One of the things that I used to collect was antique china, Shelley, Clarice Cliff, Royal Albert and of course Blue Willow pattern china. I was immediately intrigued by a coloring book based on this ancient Chinese pattern.
When I looked at the artist’s website I realised that we both shared a common interest of collecting broken china to upcycle.  Patty the artist, uses broken pieces of Blue Willow china to make jewelry and other items.  Before I broke my wrist, I used to collect china to create bracelets and mosaic tables.
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”400″ identifier=”B002ZPDLMW” locale=”US” src=”http://coloringqueen.net/my_content/uploads/2017/10/51fPjoyNtmL.jpg” tag=”mygamingweb-20″ width=”400″]What I didn’t know about Blue Willow, until I read Patty’s coloring book, was that it is based on a love story.  Patty has re-interpreted this story of forbidden love in the pages that she has illustrated.
Cover & Layout
The matte laminate cover of this coloring book immediately tells the casual browser that this is the classic blue willow but it has been reinterpreted. Gone are the shades of blue that are indicative of blue willow and in its place Patty has colored in pretty pinks, lilac and green.  This colored cover shows colorists how they to can reimagine a classic.  You could of course, color the images in blue as well and they would look spectacular.
On the back cover there are three thumbnail images of pages from the book and two thumbnails depicting the 3d ornaments that you can color, cut out and fold included in the book.
Blue Willow Coloring Book measures approximately 13in x 10 in.
Ancillary Pages
A plain text title page commences the book. On the reverse there is copyright information.  The next page is framed in a classic blue willow pattern plate which tells the story of blue willow. Over leaf an introduction and decorated dedication page follows.
Only the ancillary pages have been printed on both sides of the paper.
Layout
The illustrations have been printed on one side only of the white, medium quality paper.  The paper is at the heavier end of medium and has a faint tooth to it making it ideal for pencils.
Coloring Book Images and Illustrations
The illustrations in the book are based on the blue willow china pattern.  The artist has also incorporated the story within the coloring book with snippets on pages throughout the book.  This helps you to get a feel for the book and the history as you color your way through it.
All of the art work has been framed in a thick border.  The art is well positioned anc centered on the page avoiding the spine area which is notoriously tricky to color.   Each page can be removed by carefully tearing along the fine perforation guide.
The pages tell the story of the forbidden love through the illustrations.  It appears that the birds featured on the pages represent the two lovers (although I could be wrong).
There are a variety of images in here for colorists to enjoy including flowers, birds, dragons, butterflies, Japanese architecture and beautiful scenes.  The cover art has also been included in the book for you to color as well.
Colorists that have a minor visual impairment will find the black, medium to thick lines easy to see to color in.  There are different levels of complexity within the book with many images having large open spaces, great for colorists with minor visual impairment and motor skill challenges.
Please click on an image to view more detail
[foogallery id=”10991″]Bonus
There are 6 ornaments to color in, cut and fold at the end of the book.  You can use these to decorate your Christmas tree or just hang as home decor.
In the video review, I colored my ornament with my [easyazon_link identifier=”B000KJP5X8″ locale=”US” tag=”mygamingweb-20″]Steadtler Ergosoft pencils[/easyazon_link] and I was surprised at how much fun it was to color this.  The ornaments are great for when you only want to do a small project or have a small amount of time.  The ornament is meant to be punched with a needle at the top and gathered …but of course I couldn’t find my needle and thread!
Detail Level
Where to buy Blue Willow – A Coloring Book Story Coloring Book
Blue Willow is printed in the US using US materials (which means that it is not as readily available in other countries).
| Amazon | Publisher |
Happy coloring x
Lea
Hi Lea
I watched the video for this and then set off to find it ………sadly its not reached Amazon UK yet but I hope it will. It is right up my street as the story is well known to me with a dark ending. It is written into “The Mikado” and “The King and I” where love can often be fatal if you cross the barriers of protocol and cast. I also love the East and its beauty , and now China has recently opened its doors and are fast sharing their Art with the western world. I enjoyed your write up and the interview with Patti. I couldn’t write a comment because there was no box at the end as with other posts. I noted there were social media comments . Kindness Mandyx
Thank you Mandy! The publisher’s ship globally if you can’t wait for the UK to stock the book. Thank you for adding more to the story! I love these little titbits and learning new things. Thank you for telling me about the comments – had a little glitch on that post, which I’ve gone geeky and fixed now 🙂 Happy coloring x
Thanks Lea…glad its fixed , ill go back and write a post soon. I am a sucker for titbits and knowledge too. Its fun to interact offering info to a page and person. Mandyx
I put my geek hat on and worked it out! Happy coloring x