The Affirmation Dot-To-Dot Puzzle Book Review!
Media Title: The Affirmation Dot-To-Dot Puzzle Book Compiled by: Patience Coster Media Type: Soft Cover Book ISBN: 978-1-78888-770-0 Genre: Relaxation, Meditation, Fun
Reviewed by: MargeMod Content Warnings: None! Rating: Full bouquet out of a full bouquet.
Summary: This throwback to simpler times combines dot-to-dot coloring book (8.5″ by 11″) images with encouraging and inspirational statements. The Introduction explains that it's puzzles "promise a great mental workout, while affirmative quotes encourage an optimistic, reflective way of thinking." It is simple and straightforward.
Review: When coloring books specifically designed for adults became popular several years ago, I was intrigued. The graphics were wonderful and I purchased several. It turns out that while I enjoyed coloring as a child, it held no interest for me as an adult. I'm not very good about staying within the lines and my color combinations are suspect. Don't get me wrong, I love receiving drawings and coloring art from friends and family, however it is not something I want to do myself. When I saw that I had an option besides standard coloring books, I thought I would give it a try.
With the dot-to-dot format I found that I was completely engaged in the wonderful images and poignant quotations. The affirmations are gentle, thought-provoking and simple: "I live in the present and am confident of the future." Quotes from famous people are also included, some which I had never heard before. For example, I didn't know that Marilyn Monroe said, "Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." or that Mark Twain said, "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why."
Whatever the affirmation, I found that I repeated it over and over as I worked my way around the 350 to 550 dots. Also, who designs the puzzles? An artist, for certain! Is it the sequence of numbers that is important to contemplation or is it the joy in finding something that isn't clear when you start? I don't know but I suspect it is all these things and more. For me, I found the simple action of counting surprisingly relaxing.
The author suggests the use of a small ruler or straight edge to help with longer spaces between dotes. I agree. I wish that the book had been constructed to lay flat when opened or to be able to remove pages so that the puzzles could be drawn on without a bend in the page itself. I did not enjoy the puzzles that spelled out words, but the wildlife and flowers puzzles are amazing. The numbers with each dot are very small, so if you have limited vision, you will need magnification. The dots are very small and so they are not distracting to the final picture. This is good for people who value the final product but makes the journey more difficult. This book would be fun for all ages but because of the small type size and how in some designs the dots are so close together, it may be a challenge for young artists.
All in all, the puzzles and the affirmations are terrific! I am certain I will pick up another copy when I finish the 60 or so puzzles in this book.
