Last year on my trip to New Zealand I bought a colouring book as a memento of my trip. I’ve only recently started colouring in Kuwi’s Creative Colouring Book: For Big and Small People. This was not the only New Zealand themed colouring book I saw, but definitely the only one I had to buy.
This colouring book is by award-winning author and illustrated Kat Merewether. She is best known for her Kuwi the Kiwi series. The books are centered around a mother kiwi bird, which was inspired by the fragile populated of the endangered brown Kiwi. The illustrations are so cute and the use of colour is quite bright and vibrant.
Kuwi’s Creative Colouring Book is design to teach its audience about native kiwis and features many of New Zealand’s native fauna and flora. They are many fun kiwi facts throughout, as well as many little cute Kuwi’s to colour. In the back there is an index of all the native fauna and flora labeled in both English Te Reo Māori. New Zealand has such an amazing and unique array of bird life and this book showcases them beautifully.
This book can be coloured alone or together with a little person. There are 60 pages, most of which have drawings that have been printed twice, with one containing less detail. This can either be added to or left as a more simplified version for kids. The pages are also perforated, so that they can be easily removed to display work. The paper is white and thick and is perfect for blending coloured pens, pastels backgrounds and adding gel pens details. I’m not sure about using water colour, which I assume would warp the paper at the very least.
I have only completed a handful of pages out of this book using Prismacolor pencils, Mungyo Pastels and Uniball gel pens. I love the quirky, detailed drawings, which look great with a vibrant splash of colour. I tried to colour most of the creatures in their proper colours, but changed it up for some variety. For more information on this book and where to purchase it, view the links below.
This colouring book can be purchased through:
- Illustrated Publishing (20c from each purchase is donated to Kiwis for Kiwi)
- Amazon
- Book Depository (currently unavailable)
- The Nile
Flip through and Reviews:
- Video Flip through by Stacy Hayward, Kuwi’s Creative Colouring Book For Big and Small People by Kat Mereweather
- Reviews on Kiwi Reviews, 7093 Kuwi’s Creative Colouring Book for Big and Small People
There are more beautiful New Zealand themed colouring books that you can buy in New Zealand and online. Here a few I came across when I visited last year:
- All Good: A New Zealand Colouring Book and All Things Nice : A New Zealand Colouring Book by Jo Pearson;
- Drawing on Mindfulness: A Colouring Series of New Zealand by Cat Fawcett-Cornes;
- The Great New Zealand Colouring Book created by New Zealanders
Live Eat Colour 