The adult coloring book “Secret Garden” looks like it will lose its position on the book market, making way for other newcomers.

    The book “Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt” by Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford has been a hit among Chinese readers since it was released in China in June.

    After two months, it seems that its popularity is fading.

    Noted Chinese writer Jiang Fangzhou said the book makes people addicted and is being used to escape reality.

    A Guangzhou bookstore has removed all of the “Secret Garden” series from its shelves saying that the book is meaningless and without cultural content, a China Daily report said.

    From movie art to

    coloring book

    As soon as art for the film “The Assassin Nie Yinniang” was released, many people were struck by the beauty of the paintings.

    The film producers published their own coloring book, with a first run of 100,000 quickly selling out.

    The coloring book is based on work by the film’s art director, Huang Wenying, who was inspired by ancient paintings from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) like “Court Ladies Preparing Newly-Woven Silk” and “Portrait of Lady of Guo Going Sightseeing in Spring” by artist Zhang Xuan.

    An expert said that the coloring book is popular because it’s Tang Dynasty aesthetic is what most Chinese people consider beautiful, along with appealing to an oriental identity.

    Craft-based books pop up

    “Any books about painting are in vogue,” says an owner of a Chinese bookstore. “They are more than 50 percent in sales.”

    German paper artist Felicitas Horst Schfer’s book “Paper Style: Hairdos” lets readers cut out stereoscopic hairstyle for the figures in the book by following his instructions and using models. Readers can also cut out pop-up animals in her another book.

    “Scratch Night View,” a book published by Korean company Lago Design, is another recent hit. It tasks readers with scratching the pages of the book until images of famous places at night become visible. (SD-Agencies)