Carovné Lahodnosti (Magical Delights) by Klára Marková

Summary 
Current Price: £18.96
Number of Pages: 96
Size: 25 x 21cm
Paper colour: Ivory
Paper surface: Smooth  
Paper thickness: Very Good
Linework: Fine  
Perforated: No  
One sided: Yes
Binding: Stitch
Drawings go into the spine: Yes
Waterbased pen bleed: None

As soon as I saw the cover of this book I knew I'd love it. The butterfly-shaped perfume/potion bottle made from delicate blossoms and leaves promised beautiful illustrations inside, and I'm happy to say the book doesn't disappoint. This is one of the loveliest colouring books I have ever seen, and instantly shot to the top of my favourites list.

Čarovné Lahodnosti is Czech for Magical Delights - although Google translates it to Charming Deliciousness! Either way, the title perfectly suits the theme of the drawings. This book is filled with whimsical folk-inspired art, from chubby woodland fairies to miniature mushroom cottages and more. There are even cut-out doors at the rear of the book which you can attach to the illustrations and make into an opening flap book!
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​Here's Klára to better explain what Čarovné Lahodnosti is all about:

In the heart of a deep forest, mystically there, a little well sparkles in the moss, by a big mouldered stump, a tiny cottage stands. By day inside the cottage peace and quiet bestows, but as darkness falls it’s little windows aglow with a warm light and scents of blueberry pie fill the air. Fairy bells and sounds of flutes complement the scene. Look carefully and you will see that the little lights that you considered to be fireflies are only further little windows belonging to many little cottages close by.  As the music echo’s louder, accompanying sweet voices draw you deeper into the enchanting forest away from your existing world, because it´s wonderful there... it´s just captivatingly spellbinding. I´ll be happy to be your guide in my world. “The realm of Little Ones” invites you to colour in my pages and dream......

Here is my flipthrough of the book so you can cast your eyes over this magical land.

The paper is very thick and as each page is one sided, you'll feel safe using any type of colouring media, wet or dry. On the reverse of each illustration is a dedicated colourable space to write the date you completed it or thoughts about the design. The surface of the paper is very smooth and is great for blending soft pencils as there is no heavy tooth to push into. Waterbased markers do shadow on the reverse but do not bleed unless you are very heavy-handed.

The book is hardback with gold foiling to the title as well as details on the front and reverse. It is the same size as Hanna Karlzon's books and has a premium quality, luxurious feel to it. It's no average colouring book; it's very special and that is reflected in the price. At present, the only place you can buy this book is directly from Klára herself via Etsy, and the price is £18.96 plus shipping (which is £11.84 [UK] / $14.99 [US]). It is a substantial cost and I'm praying that a publisher will take on this beautiful book and make it more financially accessible to us all.

Here is my finished picture from the book, coloured with Staedtler Ergosoft pencils. I purposefully chose budget pencils so that you can see how easily they blend on this paper.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. You can find it on Klara's Etsy here:
Čarovné Lahodnosti by Klára Marková