Disney Mystery Coloring Book The Lion King: my review

Specifications

Title: Disney Mystery Coloring Book, Movie Special: The Lion King
Illustrator: Aurélia Bertrand
Publisher: Hachette Heroes
Number of colorings: 50
Number of pages: 112, solutions included
Format: A4 (21.8 x 1.1 x 29.9 cm)
Print layout: single sided
Paper: premium quality
Difficulty: large zones, beginner friendly

The test swatch chart, the genuinely clever idea in this book

This is the detail that made me raise an eyebrow, and the reason I am writing this review so quickly.

In a standard mystery coloring book, the legend gives you a number and a color swatch. It is up to you to guess which marker in your collection comes closest. The problem is that you only really find out once the color is down on the drawing, and by then it is too late: you are committed for the whole illustration.

Here, every color code comes with several blank cells. You can test two or three different shades from your palette, compare them side by side, and pick the one you prefer before you start. It sounds trivial. In practice it completely changes how you approach the book, especially a volume like this one that calls for so many closely related shades.

What is actually inside: 38 drawings from the first film, 12 from the second

I counted, because this is the kind of information you cannot find anywhere before buying: 38 colorings come from the original Lion King, and 12 from The Lion King 2.

If you are buying this book for the 1994 film, you are very well served. If you are buying it mainly for Kiara and Kovu, know that you get twelve drawings, not half the book. That is not a flaw, it is just worth knowing before you click.

The artwork stays faithful to both films. You recognise the characters instantly, which is not always the case with licensed properties adapted into mystery coloring.

Why this is a good book to start with

The zones are large and clearly defined. The outlines are easy to see, the numbers are legible, and above all it is not cluttered. You never have to squint to work out where one zone ends and the next begins.

That is exactly what you want when you are starting out, or when you simply want to color without straining. Plenty of Disney volumes push the detail to an extreme and end up being exhausting: this one stays comfortable.

Another small comfort, less spectacular but very welcome: the white zones are fully solid. No need to go back over them with a white marker to fill in gaps, which saves you buying a good white marker, an item that is expensive and often disappointing.

What to plan for: a lot of shades of the same color

This is the only thing that might hold you back, and it is not really a flaw in the book: it is a direct consequence of The Lion King universe.

The lions call for a large number of closely related browns. The hyenas and the darker scenery lean on blues, and so do the skies. The savanna grass and the jungle need a solid range of greens.

In practice, if you only own a 24 marker set, you will end up using the same brown for three different color codes, and the finished piece will lose all its depth. You will need a bit of material. That is the real cost of this book, and it is better to know beforehand than afterwards.

Which materials to use

The book is printed on one side only, and that changes everything. There is no coloring on the back of any page, so even if a marker bleeds through, you sacrifice nothing. You can use absolutely whatever you like.

Alcohol markers are therefore perfectly usable here, which is rare and genuinely enjoyable: they give the cleanest flat areas and the smoothest blends.
Acrylic markers work too, with nicely opaque colors and excellent coverage.
Colored pencils remain the most affordable way to get a lot of shades, which is precisely what this book asks for.

The solution pages

Solutions are included in the book. They show you the colored result the illustrator had in mind, which is very handy for choosing your shades before you begin, especially with so many close tones to tell apart.

My verdict

This volume is perfect for Lion King fans, and for people who love mystery coloring books too, of course! The artwork is faithful to both films, the zones are comfortable, and the test swatch chart is a thoughtful touch I would love to see in every book in the collection.

I received it yesterday, so I have not colored it yet, but I have a feeling I am going to love doing it. I found no flaw at all while going through it, whereas with other volumes something always jumps out at me in the first few pages.

If you are new to mystery coloring and want a book that will not discourage you, this one is for you: large zones, nothing too complicated to follow, and the freedom to use any material you like thanks to the single sided printing. Just set aside a little budget for shades, and you will have a very good time with it.

I will update this review with my own finished colorings as soon as I complete one.