If you have trouble staying within the lines when you’re coloring in your nephew’s Despicable Me coloring book, you’ll really have to concentrate to stay in the lines with books like Joanna Basford’s Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest, filled with intricate (though not impossible) scenes. Basford’s books bring together the allure of a treasure hunt and the puzzle-solving of Myst-era gaming (“Travel through the forest and find the nine hidden symbols along the way. At the end of the book you must use your nine found symbols to unlock the castle door and reveal the secret hidden within.”)
Others, like Coloring for Calm: 100 Mandalas for Relaxation in Minutes are aiming to be more of a chill pill for the harried denizens of the 21st century.
Anthology, 218 State St., carries a selection of the most artistic of the books and has even created and printed its own Wisconsin-themed coloring book, featuring designs both scenic and political, which should be in stock soon.