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Who it's for

• Every family whose children draw people, including themselves, their families and their friends.
• Children who notice that "peach" isn't anyone's actual skin color.
• Careful colorers who want subtle creams, tans and browns for animals, bread, wood and hair.

Who should skip it

• A first and only pencil set: start with Crayola Colored Pencils, 36 count, which has the blues, greens and brights, then add this one.

What we like

Children see themselves on the page. Being able to choose a shade that matches a face they love is a small thing that matters a lot.

The colors are named, from light to deep, which turns choosing into a gentle conversation: "Which one looks like Grandma's hands?"

Warm neutrals for everything else. Creams, tans and soft browns are exactly what fur, baskets and wooden tables need.

Worth knowing before you buy

• This is a specialist set: no sky blue, grass green or bright red.
• Like any colored pencils, they need a sharpener. A kid-friendly sharpener helps.
• Light layers first, then deeper ones on top, give the most natural look.

How it works on Meowelo pages

The Meowelo friends are cats, a mouse and a wedge of cheese, and this set's warm shades suit them surprisingly well: Naeli's ivory fur and taupe points, the cream of Riyu's muzzle, wooden bridges and woven baskets. And when children draw their own family on the back of a page or on a free printable, the people in the picture can finally look like them.

How it compares

Pick	Best for	Good to know	Buy
Warm Tones SetCrayola Colors of the World Colored Pencils, 24 Count	Real people can look like real people	Not a full palette on its own: no blues or greens	Check price on Amazon Paid link
Best Value PencilsCrayola Colored Pencils, 36 Count	36 shades, including useful in-betweens	Needs a sharpener eventually	Check price on Amazon Paid link
Best GripFaber-Castell Grip Colored EcoPencils, 24 Count	Triangular shape guides fingers into a comfortable hold	Pricier than a basic set	Check price on Amazon Paid link

Pairs well with

Home Under the Stars

There is room for you here.

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