I have a few of these books. This one is my favorite. The pictures are beautiful and interesting, not too big or too small. Colored pencils would probably be ideal but I like using gel pens. I will probably go through my ink pretty quickly however. On a side note, the paper is thick enough that I can use gel ink and it doesnt ruin the pictures on the other side. I do find that these help my stress. I have a condition that aggravates my heart when Im stressed that is very noticeable. But if I take time to color in these I've noticed my symptoms have gone and I feel much more calm. And its way easier than meditating!