The Scottish illustrator has dominated the genre
Fans of adult coloring books can’t get enough of Johanna Basford: Since she published her first volume in 2013, her books have sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. So they’ll be excited to see her next offering, Magical Jungle, bringing more of her signature botanical designs—this time in a tropical setting.
While coloring books for adults have been around for a while, the success of Basford’s previous three books, Secret Garden, Enchanted Forest and Lost Ocean, have shepherded in a new age of popularity for the genre. Everyone from established publishing houses to brand new startups have jumped on board the trend, a fact that Basford does not resent.
“What better signs are there that you’re doing something right than to see the category blossom?” she said in a recent interview with TIME. “Essentially, the more books are on the market, the more people are putting down their iPads and their iPhones and they’re taking out a pen and a pencil and doing some coloring. So I think it’s a really positive thing.”
Magical Jungle will arrive on Aug. 9, and a fifth book, Johanna’s Christmas, is due later in the year.
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