Asia Coloring Book - a Surprise Castle exclusive

24 hand-illustrated scenes from across the world's largest continent, from a torii gate at the foot of Mount Fuji to a floating market in Southeast Asia.

One continent. A thousand temples. Bring a pencil case.

A hand-drawn adult coloring book, 24 scenes that run from cherry blossom paths and bamboo forests to spice markets and Mongolian steppe yurts. The pace is set by a temple bell and the slow drift of a paper lantern, not the next notification.

Step onto a cherry blossom path beside a still pond, three boats moored at the water's edge. Walk into a grand Islamic courtyard with a domed central building, two fountains, and manicured gardens. Pull up to the Chrysler Building radiating its tiered crown — a New York stand-in for the modern Asian skyline. Then into a spice market where a woman in a sari arranges cone-shaped heaps of color among Islamic temples.

The pages keep moving. A tiger half-hidden in dense bamboo and overhanging vines. The Taj Mahal mirrored in its rectangular pool, cypress trees flanking the path. A roadside vendor with mounded spices and woven baskets. Two sumo wrestlers grappling in a circular ring while spectators lean in.

Wander through the regions. A long path through a bamboo forest, stalks rising on either side. A woman in a kimono holding a paper umbrella beside a pagoda spire and traditional wooden buildings. A two-tiered Chinese pagoda interior with paper lanterns and tea service. An ornately decorated elephant carrying a ceremonial parasol.

Keep going. Four Buddhist monks in saffron robes walking with alms bowls. A bustling Chinese street market under hanging lanterns and signage. Angkor Wat with tiered towers and pointed spires by a river. A torii gate framing snow-capped Mount Fuji. Three Korean women in hanbok with ornate headdresses and fans. A pagoda surrounded by blooming cherry blossoms. Two Balinese dancers in golden headdresses and patterned costumes. A frontal view of the Taj Mahal with its reflecting pool. A Chinese dragon carried aloft by dancers along a parade route. Mongolian gers on the open steppe with horses grazing nearby. A festival scene of hands raised over rice bowls in colorful garments. And to close, a Southeast Asian floating market of wooden boats stacked with produce and vendors in conical hats.

There's a reason coloring sticks around. It gives a busy mind somewhere to land, and in this case that somewhere is the carved spire of Angkor Wat or the petals of a cherry blossom. Some pages are bold and forgiving. Others will eat a whole afternoon. Works fine with colored pencils, fine-tip markers, or gel pens.

If you know someone planning a long trip across Southeast Asia, a friend obsessed with Hayao Miyazaki films, or anyone who reads everything Pico Iyer writes about Japan, this is for them. It's also for the person who'd quietly rather shade Mount Fuji on a Saturday than scroll.

Cross the gate.

Inside you'll find 24 scenes: a cherry blossom path with moored boats, a grand Islamic courtyard with fountains, the Chrysler Building tiered crown, a sari vendor at a spice market, a tiger in bamboo jungle, the Taj Mahal mirrored in its pool, a roadside spice vendor, two sumo wrestlers in a ring, a long path through a bamboo forest, a kimono-clad woman beside a pagoda, a two-tiered Chinese pagoda interior, a decorated ceremonial elephant, four Buddhist monks with alms bowls, a Chinese street market with lanterns, Angkor Wat from a riverside, a torii gate with Mount Fuji, three Korean women in hanbok, a cherry-blossom pagoda, two Balinese dancers, the Taj Mahal frontal view, a parade Chinese dragon, Mongolian gers on the steppe, a festival of raised rice bowls, and a Southeast Asian floating market.