MEET THE MAKER

Colorful Cities produces interactive activity guides and illustrated travelogues designed to foster regional discovery. By combining hand-drawn destination souvenirs with civic education, this independent publisher provides analog entertainment that encourages mindful local tourism and creative engagement.

Colorful Cities is a small, woman-owned publishing venture born from a love of authentic travel and creative curiosity. Founded in 2012 by Laura Lahm, it is rooted in the belief that experiencing a place is about more than just sightseeing. It's about encouraging travelers to be tourists in their own cities—taking the path less traveled and uncovering the hidden gems locals cherish, rather than simply checking boxes off a list.

As a parent of young children, Laura and her family often spent afternoons exploring Seattle—visiting places like Kubota Garden or the lighthouse at Discovery Park. They always brought along coloring journals to capture the unique and unexpected details of the city. It was their way of having analog fun in a digital world. In their search for tools to guide these family adventures, they found that standard guidebooks were too overwhelming, while city-themed coloring books focused only on well-known landmarks.

Out of these homespun outings—and a desire to make exploring more engaging and educational for young minds—Laura created the first book, Colorful Seattle – Explore & Color. The book captures the magic of lesser-known gems like the Fremont Troll and Kubota Garden with hand-drawn maps and whimsical illustrations. It’s not just about coloring within the lines; it’s about stepping outside of them—to ask why a place matters, and how it came to be. These books offer more than sightseeing—they spark conversations, encourage map-reading, and invite meaningful memory-making, all with a colored pencil in hand.

Today, Explore & Color continues to craft city-specific coloring books that help families—and curious travelers of all ages—explore with intention. They take pride in the fact that every book is designed, illustrated, and printed in the USA. With each turn of the page, they encourage readers to experience the spirit of a city by following their curiosity, one colored landmark at a time.