Color Counts: Garden Game Paperback – January 1, 2011

Long before the current adult coloring book fad came along, there were the MindWare Color Counts books. I was introduced to these by a friend who used these books to relax and also occupy her mind as she was going through a relationship breakup. These books are addictive - no matter how old you are! I have this book and also the "Carnival" version.This book contains 12 designs, but there are two of each of these designs. One copy of the design is numbered so that you can "color by number" and the other copy is not numbered so you can fill in the colors as you wish. Four of these designs are larger, 10"x17" fold-out designs. Each page is perforated so that you can tear out the design either before or after you color it. The pages are not printed on both side of the paper, so you can color with pens or markers without worrying about ruining the design on the other side of the page. Each design has a "key" printed on the side, with the numbers and colors listed so you have that info right at hand.These "Garden" designs, to me, are geared more toward adults or older kids, as the designs are things like a scarecrow in a garden, a woman gathering flowers in a basket - things that I don't necessarily associate with kids. But kids of all ages, from 8 to 100, will get a lot of hours of fun from this book.

I have always loved coloring but there are too many designs that are geared for children that I feel silly working on. There are even less of this type of book on the market when you don't want to think about where to put certain colors. This book was perfect for me when I took a 7-day cruise in December and at times had nothing to do. The pages are thick enough that ink barely bleeds through and the designs are VERY intricate and take a lot of time! The page I worked on took me around 3-4 hours (even longer for the two-page drawings) but it's very fun seeing the drawing "pop out" over time :) If you buy this make sure you have a variety of different colors though...I didn't have access to a "light orange" marker so I had to use another one or skip that color and come back to it later. I really enjoy this book and I think when I finish it I'll probably move on to another Mindware book. Would buy again!

I was a little disappointed that all of the pages ended up very child-like in the color choices,but this is a coloring book, and as such I wouldn't expect it to be too complicated with the colors. The designs are very nice and detailed. Each coloring page comes with a color by number version, and a plain version to color with whatever colors you choose. All pages except that last one, which only has the color by number. Some of the pages are twice the length, for an extra long picture, and are folded in half. Each page is perforated and is white on the back, which is perfect if you want to color with markers. The pages are thin though, so if you intend on using markers with this, be sure to put a few sheets of paper or some card stock behind what you're working on.

I just got this book yesterday and already I love the pictures are very pretty. I love that there is a limited list of suggested colors. I put these markers in a makeup bag and now I can carry my fun with me. The pictures are printed on one side which allows me to use markers without ruining another picture. I did put a piece of paper behind the page I'm coloring to catch any bleed through aND not damage the pages. There are also some awesome double page designs that are made sp you can remove them. They fold out not like other books that are stapled in the middle and frustrating. Overall I love this book and plan to get others in this series.

I really like this and it is challenging. However many wrote how they liked using the Sharpie Utlra Fine pens, so I got the 24 pack since Mindwave has a 24 pack but read the reviews for them and and glad I got the Sharpie's but NO color names on the pens :(. And would have given this five stars but you only need about 9-10 colors!! They do give you empty pages of ones you have done previous with the numbers, so you can be really creative by yourself. Maybe, but PLEASE Mindwave do books with far more colors!! Like to match your pen set or equal?!

This book is so charming. We bought this for our 5 and 8 year old nieces to share and they loved it. My 15 year old saw this and pulled some pages out for herself to do, too. There's probably 20 pages, including some larger fold-outs. Some are color by # and some are just color however you want. I will be buying more of these. Such a quaint gift for kids through adult. It makes me want to snuggle up under some warm covers in my pajamas and color the winter away.

I bought this, Landscapes, and Gardens in the Color Counts line for my wife as Xmas gifts. Aside from the "duplicate" pictures in there, where one is free form coloring and the other is by numbers, I really have no complaints. Even that issue is a small quibble for such a niche item. I was honestly just happy to find someone making more complex books aimed at the slightly older crowd. The pictures are complex enough to keep her entertained and therefore, I can honestly say I would suggest this to anyone who knows an older child or an adult who still enjoys to color. Hopefully these will be popular enough that Mindware continues to publish new ones.

If you don't have artistic talent but love colors, this is for you. And you need patience. I don't recommend for a young child - too detailed. Detailed enough that it is a good, long project. Well designed and fun to see the design emerge. Good for anyone with a steady hand. I'm 70 and love doing these. Get good fine or ultra fine markers and enjoy. The double pages are a real challenge.The only criticism is I think the duplicate pages where you choose your own colors are a waste of paper and money. You'd have to be pretty creative to come up with the right colors in the right designs for that.I highly recommend for older people with lots of time and a steady hand. A little tedious, but that's the challenge.

I love this series, I have had a few of them. There are 2 pictures of each, one with numbers the other no numbers. The last picture either has numbers or not, but here is only one picture. The colouring areas are small so you get better coverage. Some of these books are priced way too high, but there are still some available that are reasonable. Have fun with them and Don't throw out the numbered pictures when done, they will help you when you do the other similar picture. The spaces that you colour in are on the small size so would not recommend them for younger kids. Perfect for adults.

I really enjoy paint by numbers and I wanted to start coloring again, so I researched color by number and discovered these little beauties on Amazon. I have purchased several of these Mindware Color Counts books. I do enjoy being able to create a piece of artwork though color.At first I was a little disappointed that it came with duplicate images without numbers, but after doing some really nice pieces, I learned that I could color a second one and turn it into a piece of artwork and knowing what colors go where already, I can adjust them accordingly for my own desire.I'm very pleased with my purchases and I highly recommend these coloring books for anyone at any age.

My daughter loves these books and I've gotten into them too. So neat to slowly put the pictures together as you colour and more enthralling for someone who bores easily when colouring but loves it all the same.

I love these color by number books. They are detailed enough to be enjoyed by an adult looking for some relaxation. Without having to think of what color to use on unnumbered art coloring books.

Livre difficile à emporter,donc il faut vraiment emporter toute la palette de couleur.