Islands: A Coloring Book for Adults (30 Drawings, 30 Poems) [Spiral-bound]

Shelley Gilbert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2001

Gift-quality, beautiful, twin-wire spiral-bound. 12" length x 9" height. 30 black-on-white original drawings and their 30 interpretive poems. Each drawing is different and has its own theme. Great variety in designs. Easy-to-color spaces: small, medium and large spaces throughout book. Cover graphics are eye-appealing in pure-white heavy card stock. Its 64 pure-white pages are thick 80# stock, suitable for matting and framing.

Enchanting, unique new book. Adults love its creativity and wit as it blends original art, poetry, and ageless recreation. Sophisticated and intellectually engaging. Emotional and meditative. Islands heals the spirit and takes you on a sensual adventure. Within this sanctuary of fantasy are 30 black-on-white abstract and symbolic drawings all begging to be colored. Facing each drawing is an interpretive whimsical poem which translates the drawing's abstract into an aha! Its myriad of delightful themes has something for everyone to identify with: seahorses, Mozart, moons, Odysseus, stars, Pink Floyd, snakes, Jimmy Durante, tropical islands, Galway, golf. And "swimming" on the pages is Apolla Seahorse, Seahorse Publishing's company logo and the book's precious mascot.

"Islands, A Coloring Book for Adults" because adults love to color too.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...refreshing new idea, novel idea, highly creative, fun. The students think it makes a great gift for their parents." -- Richard Clatworthy, Trade Books Mgr, Leavey Ctr Bookstore, Georgetown Univ, Wash. DC, April 16, 2002

"Open the pages of 'Islands...' and enter a wonderful, whimsical, mythical resort. Escape, fun, relaxation and inspiration. Great gift." -- Ruth Windsor, Writer, April 19, 2002

"We brought "Islands" into our store because it was a great new idea....We sold out the first week." -- Pam Tirsch, Owner, The Briarcliff Perfume Shoppe, Briarcliff Manor, NY, April 2, 2002

Extremely satisfied with this book. Well done, beautiful gift. Imaginative, creative. Loved drawings, poems. Recommend book for gifts, vacations. -- A reader. November 10, 2002

Gave my ailing mother this book. She's enjoying it. My children want grandma's book. Top quality. -- A Reader. May 2, 2003

My three children enjoy this book. Great variety of designs and poems. Book is appropriate for kids, teens, adults, retirees. -- A reader. April 22, 2003

From the Publisher

"Islands, A Coloring Book for Adults" was featured in the "Footlights" column of The New York Times on Sunday, November 24, 2002.

I began Seahorse Publishing, Inc. in March 2001 for two reasons: To bring this book to you and to have control over my idealized creative product. As an artist and writer, I have gone through the frustrating and time-consuming experience that all artists and writers go through when seeking agents and publishers to bring their creative work to the public. I wondered if my book would ever get picked up by a publisher or if it would get altered in a way that I didn't approve. So I decided to publish it myself.

Here is a sample of one of the book's whimsical poems:

"Hullabaloo, Goldie's tattoos, Kunstler and Abbie and Jerry,
Beatles break up, Kent State shoot up, Janis and Jimi lay sleeping..."

So begins the poem "It Was the '70s", with its companion drawing of large '70s-like flowing shapes. "Islands" combines insightful, playful poems with symbolic and abstract drawings to provide colorers the freedom to explore their own visions in this eclectic collection of drawings. With themes from the Greek god Zeus, to seahorses, to the letter "i", colorers delight in the poems and drawings and are led to discover their creativity in expressing their own interpretation through color. And since the book comes with eight brilliant, washable/nontoxic Sanford gel markers, they have many colors to choose from.

Consisting of 30 drawings with 30 companion poems, even the poems' fonts contribute to the overall playfulness of this book. Colorers aged 4 to 90 have found "Islands" a rewarding recreation as they color the varied pictures, some with small, controlled spaces, others allowing for broad, sweeping strokes and all sizes in between.

As you explore this "sanctuary of fantasy," Apolla the seahorse (Seahorse Publishing's logo) frolics through the poems and provides her own reactions.

If ever there was a book that is a warm, complimentary gift, "Islands, A Coloring Book for Adults" is it. Appealing to the recipient's creativity and sophistication, most people would be truly flattered to receive this innovative and imaginative book.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 64 pages
• Publisher: Seahorse Publishing, Inc. (November 2001)
• ISBN-10: 097183170X
• ISBN-13: 978-0971831704
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,039,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shelley Gilbert, Author, Artist, award-winning and well-reviewed, creates and publishes unique and original fiction and nonfiction books for children and adults.

LAND OF SOOJ, Six Seahorse Stories, 2011. Well-reviewed fiction book for young adults and children ages 7-19. LAND OF SOOJ is an early land where seahorses live. Each of the six seahorse stories is independent but all are connected by a seahorse family of God and Angels who look after and protect the seahorses. Moral themes are timeless and much needed for our children in our modern era. Fantasy and virtue are twin currents entwined throughout the flow of the stories.

"Charming children's book. The stories are beautifully written and morally relevant." LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY (MICHAEL PIETSCH RECOMMENDED).

SWIMMING NAKED WITH JELLYFISH, 2008, award-winning, well-reviewed autobiographical novel. Won the international 2009 Eric Hoffer Award, Montaigne Medal Finalist Award for Thought Provoking Books and for Excellence in Independent Publishing. She is currently pitching her novel to film industry principals to make a movie from her book, and also writing the sequel.

"...wonderfully vivid...straightforward...compelling...witty...page turner."
LITTLE BROWN AND COMPANY (MICHAEL PIETSCH RECOMMENDED)

"...wonderful writer...brave, intelligent...even dazzling." BENJAMIN CHEEVER

"The best piece of writing on orgasm I have ever in my life read. It's hard to write a great sex scene. It was raw, quirky, individual, original, impossible to forget, and contains the best description of the experience of having an orgasm." SUSAN GROSSMAN, EDITOR


ISLANDS, well-reviewed crossover series of unique coloring/poem books for adults and children:

1. ISLANDS, A COLORING BOOK FOR ADULTS, 30 Hand-Drawn Drawings, 30 Poems, 2001. Sold in the Katonah Museum of Art Gift Shop, Katonah, NY, among other venues worldwide.
2. ISLANDS, A COLORING BOOK FOR TEENS AND KIDS, 30 Hand-Drawn Drawings, 30 Poems and Recipes, 2010.
3. ISLANDS, A COLORING BOOK FOR ADULTS, VOLUME 2, 30 Hand-Drawn Drawings, 30 Poems, 2011.
4. ISLANDS, A COLORING BOOK FOR ADULTS, 2nd EDITION, 30 Hand-Drawn Drawings, 30 Poems, 2011.

"...refreshing new idea, novel idea, highly creative, fun. The students think it makes a great gift for their parents." RICHARD CLATWORTHY, TRADE BOOKS MGR,
LEAVEY CTR BOOKSTORE, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON DC.

"I would just like to thank Shelley for making another amazing coloring book! I love the poems and pictures in this book! :) ... I love how care-free the pictures are and the poems are super cute... It is a great book for vacations, the weekend, or if you are stuck at home from an injury!!! I can't wait for the next book!!! Keep them coming Shelley!!!" KELLY DENSBERGER, ILLINOIS

Ms. Gilbert teaches Memoir Writing Workshop-The Vignette Method and How to Self-Publish Fiction and Nonfiction Books.

A visual artist, her collage is award-winning and her tape paintings showed in a Madison Avenue art gallery juried competition. She was also a taxi driver, secretary, sign engraver, jewelry maker, gift shop owner/operator. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ms. Gilbert graduated from SUNY Empire State College, NY, Creative Writing and from The Publishing Institute, University of Denver. She lives in New York with her husband Hank Teller.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, November 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Islands: A Coloring Book for Adults (30 Drawings, 30 Poems) (Spiral-bound)

Extremely satisfied with this book. Received it in excellent condition. Very well done, makes a beautiful gift. Gave one to my niece and one to my retired father. Both loved it. It's one of the most imaginative and creative books I've ever seen. Loved the great drawings, easy to color, and the poems are funny and thought-provoking. Came with great gel markers. What colors! I highly recommend this book for holiday gift-giving, vacations, any occasion and for any person.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for someone in rehab, May 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Islands: A Coloring Book for Adults (30 Drawings, 30 Poems) (Spiral-bound)

My mother is in rehab, recovering from hip replacement surgery. I gave her this book and she's enjoying it immensely. She says time goes by so fast. The gel markers that come with the book are bright beautiful colors and are of good quality. Now my children want grandma's coloring book too. And you know what? I want another for myself. This is a top quality book and very entertaining, especially the poems that go with the drawings.I can recommend this book to anyone.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My kids enjoy this wonderful book, April 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Islands: A Coloring Book for Adults (30 Drawings, 30 Poems) (Spiral-bound)

My three children ages 5, 9 and 15 all enjoy coloring in this book. There is a great variety of designs, all easy for them to color. And there is a poem with each drawing that is so delightful. I like the one about the 1970s and my kids like the ones about the seahorses. The markers that came with the book are good quality and are very bright. What a treat to get these markers with the book. I think this book would be appropriate for kids, teens, adults and especially for retirees.