Coloring books, Lowenfeld wrote, can reinforce "stereotypes." There's a fascinating illustration in his book that, well, illustrates this: Give kids a blank sheet of paper and ask them to draw a bird.

Coloring books, Lowenfeld wrote, can reinforce "stereotypes." There's a fascinating illustration in his book that, well, illustrates this: Give kids a blank sheet of paper and ask them to draw a bird.

I've always thought coloring books are, educationally speaking, bad news. That "staying in the lines" isn't really the kind of independent and creative thinking we want to nurture. Am I right? So, as ...