The Natural Atlas by Steve Squidoodle Turner

Readers will know I love Steve Turner AKA Squidoodle's work, and was so excited to learn that his new book would feature outlines of the world depicted in his signature leafy doodle style. The Natural Atlas contains 25 countries, 6 continents and two bonus illustrations which are a world map and a globe. There's even a link to find a free download that you can print off and colour as many times as you like.

Most people will be wondering if their country is included so here is the full list:

Australia - Brazil - Canada - China - England - France - Germany - Greece - India - Israel - Italy - Japan - Mexico - The Netherlands - New Zealand - Northern Ireland - Portugal - Republic of Ireland - Russia - Scandinavia - Scotland - South Africa - Spain - USA - Wales

Obviously Steve couldn't draw every single country on Earth but there is still something for everyone in this book; whether you want to colour places you have visited, the country that your family originates from, or places you dream of going, there is a huge variety of doodled maps here. Each country has its national flower incorporated into the design, which is a lovely touch. I know that Steve was conscious not to portray possibly offensive stereotypes into his drawings, which is why he has stuck to plants and florals rather than items the country is famous for. I must admit it's refreshing to not have to colour a wooden clog shoe for the Netherlands or Big Ben for England, it's so overdone. Here's a full video flip through of the book.

The book is Amazon CreateSpace published so the paper is average weight and quality. All images are one-sided so you don't have to worry about bleed-through as long as you pop some paper or card behind the page you're working on (you may have noticed the card slipped on my book and I got some ink transfer onto the next page- gutted!)

As always Steve's artwork has the perfect balance of being really detailed but not intricate, making it suitable for any colourist. Here is my finished picture, completed with Chameleon Pens. I chose Italy in memory of my Nanna who was from Trieste on the North East coast, and added a lilac flower to represent her favourite colour.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. You can find it on Amazon here:

The Natural Atlas by Steve 'Squidoodle' Turner