We see these little numbers at gas stations, bookstores and even grocery stores. And many of our adult friends swear by them.
So just what is this wildly popular trend we’re talking about?
This trend is the craze associated with something that was once reserved for kids. It’s our fascination with adult coloring books.
According to the Washington Post, adult coloring books have become big business, making massive amounts of cash for retailers and creators. In fact, Nielsen Bookscan says that 12 million adult coloring books flew off shelves in 2015 alone.
This trend is shocking experts. According to The Washington Post, adult coloring books are topping best-seller charts over and over again. “I’ve been in this business for 20 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Kathleen Schmidt, vice president at Running Press tells The Washington Post. And businesses are struggling to keep up the demand.
But where did trend begin? Was there one person behind the madness?
Back to the Drawing Board
According to The Washington Post, those in the know credit a Scottish author by the name of Johanna Basford for the original creation of adult coloring books. Basford published a 2013 adult coloring book called Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book. This publication, which is said to feature topiaries and flowers with hidden images embedded in the pictures, hit best-seller lists.