Customer Reviews

Peterson Field Guide Color-In Book: Mammals (Peterson Field Guide Color-In Books)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

More than a coloring book--a fun and versatile learning aid!

(This review is for the color-in book, and not Peterson's "Field Guide to Mammals..." [several of the reviews here have been mis-filed])

This is a 65-page book, printed on good quality paper with line drawings of 161 different mammals, plus four pages of colorful stickers at the front. These stickers depict the mammals in their natural coloration and are meant as a guide for coloring-in the drawings. There are three or four animals per page, beginning with Marsupials, and ending with Bovids (mountain goats, etc). There is an informative intro/preface, however, the book lacks a table of contents.

The mammal pictures can be worked in markers, colored pencils, watercolors, or whatever you prefer. I recommend using "Prismacolor" colored pencils--Verithin for detailing. Amazon has the best price for these; get the biggest set you can afford, if you want them for pencil art. Of course, Crayola Brand colored pencils are not bad, either, and much less expensive.

Each page has sharp, clear drawings of each animal, plus a paragraph about them. Dotted lines suggest where the colors change within the body of the animal. Use the stickers in the front of the book for a reference guide. I suggest that you stick the little stickers directly onto the the page (there is room), and color from there. Or you could also keep the stickers where they are, and work from photocopies of the pages.

The drawings would also make excellent graphics to copy and draw. The book could be used to as a Field Guide, too, to help the student identify animals in their natural habitat. I do recommend this and other Peterson Color-in books, for ages eight and above.

This is a great book with all kinds of images to examine and color. My grandson learned a lot using this book.

My friend wanted these books so I added them to my order and thought I would take a look at them and decide then if they were something we would use in our homeschool nature study. They are basically coloring books with some general field guide information. I think they are nicely done but I prefer the real field guides and actual nature with my kids and their own sketch books. I think it's better for us to draw from our own experience, literally, and improve as we work at it and mature than just staying in the lines. You would need a regular field guide in order to get the coloring right anyway.

The title of this book describes it very well: this is a color-in book, not a coloring book. The coloring is limited to partial page illustrations that support the text. There are very few full page scenes. Since I was expecting more of a traditional coloring book, this was a disappointment. However, as an educational tool, the concept is quite good and well executed. Just be sure you know what you're getting.