Perfect Pairing: Coloring Books & Audiobooks

Coloring is one of the most relaxing activities you can do, and when you pair it with an audiobook, it can be a truly immersive experience. Coloring is also a great way to keep your hands occupied while you listen to an audiobook so you’re not tempted to dim your attention as you mindlessly scroll through your social media app of choice. And, on top of all that, it’s a chance to indulge your other obsessions! Whether you love Disney, cats, or wine, there’s a coloring book for you — as well as an audiobook to pair it with. Here are some suggestions.

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Classics

Johanna Basford is a superstar of the adult-coloring-book world, and her 2013 book Secret Garden is a classic. As for The Secret Garden  by Frances Hodgson Burnett— one of my own earliest audiobooks, which I had on cassette and can still hear in my head–it’s a classic, too. Re-reading in general can be a calming activity, and children’s classics are an excellent source of material for that — perhaps especially when narrated in a British accent, as this one is. 

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Good Grief

Another classic from your childhood that might bring back happy memories is the gang from Peanuts. There’s an entire coloring book dedicated to them— and you can pair it with the audiobook Schulz and Peanuts to help you better understand the creator of them, Charles M. Schulz.

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’90s Nostalgia

If the ’90s are a happy source of nostalgia for you, why not travel back there? Nickelodeon has made the perfect coloring book to remind us of all our favorite ’90s shows. You can pair it with another ’90s classic, Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding.

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Wise Owls

We’re probably all in need of some calming wisdom right now. Owls are great providers of that,  as we know–for example–from Owl in Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne. Everyone’s favorite yellow bear is also a great purveyor of wisdom himself, and I can’t think of a lovelier way to spend a couple of hours than with some colored pencils, this owl-themed coloring book, and this audiobook (narrated by a whole host of excellent voice actors, including Stephen Fry and Dame Judi Dench).

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Meow

If you’ve been coloring for a while and would still like a challenge, this cats-based coloring book will provide that. And while you color, you can listen to Love in Lowercase by Francesc Miralles and Julie Wark, an endearing story about a lonely professor in Barcelona who, one New Year’s Day, finds a cat has entered his apartment –setting in motion a change in his life. 

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Un-wine-d

Need a little extra help to feel relaxed? Pour yourself a glass of your favorite Merlot and sit down with a coloring book and some wine-related thoughts from Jay McInerney in The Juice, guaranteed by top chef Eric Ripert to make you smile. 

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Pep Talk

If you need encouragement to get up and do things just as much as you need stress management, you’ll find inspiration in this coloring book for boss babes. Pair it with I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai for further inspiration.

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The Happiest Place on Earth

If Disney always makes you smile, pull out your colored pencils and spend some time with your favorite characters. And while you’re at it, learn about the women who’ve shaped them via The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt.

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Romance Feels

If you’re in the mood for love, there’s a coloring book for that too! And if you’re not the mood…Talia Hibbert can help you get there with The Brown Sisters audiobooks. Pro tip: maybe put some earphones in if there’s anyone else around to spare some blushes!

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Fun in the Sun

Are you joining Libro.fm’s Summer Listening Challenge? We have some fun, audiobook-themed, FREE coloring pages available for download. You can also take our Summer Listening Quiz to find your next audiobook.