Review: Disney Mystery Big Square - Baby Animals (Sophie Marie, Hachette Heroes)

Technical specs

Before diving into my impressions, here's everything you need to know about the book at a glance:

• Publisher: Hachette Heroes
• Author: Sophie Marie
• Number of designs: 40
• Number of pages: 96
• Difficulty: Expert
• Paper: Premium
• Print: One-sided only
• Format: 23 x 1.2 x 23 cm

What I loved

1. One-sided printing. For me this is a huge plus. You can pull out your alcohol markers without any fear of bleed-through onto the next page. Tooli-Art, Promarker, Copic, all good. If you were hesitating about investing in this type of marker, this book is an excellent playground.

2. The artwork is genuinely beautiful. Sophie Marie has a tender drawing style, and her Disney baby animals are as cute as can be. It's one of those books where, just by flipping through the solution pages, you want to color everything right away.

What disappointed me a bit

1. The white zones aren't perfectly blank. It's a small flaw you find in plenty of mystery coloring books, and this one is no exception: you can still see the lines in the zones meant to stay white. For a clean finish, you'll need to go over the lines with a good opaque white marker. If you don't have one yet, plan for that purchase (cheap white markers don't cover enough, you need a quality one).

2. The color codes are sometimes tiny. In some very small zones, the color number is really minuscule, even a bit blurry. If your eyesight is average, or you color in the evening with normal lighting, I'd recommend keeping a magnifier handy. It only happens on a few designs, but it's worth mentioning.

Worth noting (neither positive nor negative, depends on your taste)

1. A LOT of zones per design. The Expert level is no exaggeration. Each design will take you a long time. If you're looking for a coloring to finish between two meetings, look elsewhere. If you want something to immerse yourself in over several evenings, it's perfect.

2. Lots of shade variations for the same color. To do justice to the designs, you'll need a palette rich in gradients: multiple browns, multiple grays, multiple pinks. If you're working with a basic 24-marker box, some results may look a bit flat. With a broader palette (48 or 72 colors), you'll really tap into the book's potential.

Blank design samples

To give you a sense of the detail level and the style, here are three pages from the book, still blank:

Preview of two solution pages

And to show you what the final result looks like, here are two pages from the solutions section of the book:

My personal take

Sophie Marie. Honestly, the name didn't ring any bell when I picked up the book. I could be wrong, but I have the impression this is her first Disney mystery coloring book. If that's the case, it's a great first attempt. The style is consistent, the artwork is tender, and the difficulty is well calibrated for the announced Expert level.

The more I flip through the solution pages to discover all the designs, the more I'm sold. It's clear that this will become one of my favorites to color. For now, I haven't started a design yet (as usual, I have way too many books in the to-color pile, yes I do have to keep buying them for the reviews ?). But as soon as I finish a design, I'll post it here, promise.

If you're looking for a book that will keep you hooked over several weeks, that will make you melt over impossibly cute baby animals, and that will push you a bit technically, this one is for you.

What materials to use with this book?

Given the book's characteristics (one-sided printing and lots of shade variations within a single color), I have pretty specific recommendations based on your budget and preferences. The one-sided printing lets you use any type of marker without worry, and the richness of shades calls for a broad palette. Here's what I personally use and what I recommend specifically for this book.

If you prefer markers

Alcohol and acrylic markers are perfect for this book thanks to the one-sided printing. You can go full throttle without worrying about bleed-through.

• Tooli Art (acrylic): my go-to for value for money. The 60-color palette is broad enough to handle the multiple shades the book demands, and the finish is matte and clean. My full review of the Tooli Art markers.
• Nicety (acrylic): another option I tested on a Disney mystery coloring. Very good finish too, slightly different texture-wise. My hands-on review of the Nicety markers.

If you prefer colored pencils

Colored pencils are perfect if you want a softer, more controlled finish, particularly well suited to animal fur. You'll just need a bit more patience to cover the larger zones.

• Faber-Castell Black Edition (budget-friendly): an excellent entry-level option to get started. Good finish, soft lead, affordable price. My review of the Faber-Castell Black Edition.
• Faber-Castell Polychromos (premium): my favorites if you want pencils that last. The pigment richness is exceptional, and the 120-color palette will give you every shade you need for this book. My detailed review of the Polychromos with photos.

If you're a beginner and you're not sure where to put your money first, I'd recommend starting with either the Tooli Art markers or the Faber-Castell Black Edition pencils. You'll get a great finish without breaking the bank, and you'll quickly see whether you prefer working with markers or pencils.

Who is this book for?

Let's be clear on the difficulty. If you're new to mystery coloring, this book will likely be a bit tough for you, because of two things:

• The large number of different shades for a single color. You'll constantly be picking from your palette, and some very close colors can be confusing.
• The large number of zones per design. Count on several hours of coloring per page, often spread across multiple sessions.

If you're looking for a book that's quick to finish, or you want to relax without concentrating too much, this one isn't for you. Look instead at an Easy or Intermediate level book.

On the other hand, if you love a challenge, if you've already done a few mystery colorings and want to step up a notch, go for it. You'll have a great time, and the satisfaction of watching a design reveal itself after several hours of work is truly incomparable.

Conclusion

The Disney Mystery Big Square Baby Animals is a lovely discovery. Sophie Marie has kept the Disney spirit with ultra-tender designs, and Hachette Heroes delivered on the quality side (premium paper, one-sided printing). The two small flaws (zones not perfectly blank, sometimes tiny codes) don't weigh much against the overall beauty.

If you're looking for a Disney mystery coloring book for long winter evenings, or simply to escape for 30 minutes at the end of the day, add it to your list. You can also try my free printable pixel mystery colorings while waiting for your order, or color directly online in the gallery.