Well known as the face of Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care, the Cottman Man has starred in TV commercials, hosted his own blog, and taken on a fresh look in a series of animated online shorts.

But now, the Cottman Man has leaped into a completely different medium as the star of a new coloring book designed especially for children.

The Cottman Man? In a children’s coloring book? It’s not as strange as it sounds.

“I brought home a few of the preliminary sketches from the animated series and left them on the kitchen table,” explains Derik Beck, Cottman’s vice president of digital marketing. “When I got back, my kids had discovered them and were giving them a new look with the help of a box of crayons. They were having the best time, and it got me thinking.”

And just like that, the Cottman Man Coloring Book was born.

Actually, the term “coloring book” doesn’t begin to do it justice: It’s more of an activities book, with a connect-the-dots picture, a word search, a maze, a compare-the-images page, and, yes, lots of images to be colored in. Many of the images are configured as stories, to help young children have a better understanding of why Mommy or Daddy has to take the family car in for service.

The coloring of the pages and activities within the book should keep young children busy for hours, while teaching them a little bit about cars and what it takes to keep them in good working order. There’s even an answer page at the end of the book to let them check their responses to the puzzles and mazes.

The initial run of the new Cottman Man Coloring Books will be taken to a few children’s hospitals in the areas served by Cottman centers and the books may start showing up in waiting rooms at Cottman centers all around the country.

A special thanks are in order to the team at Advance Auto Parts for partnering with Cottman to have subsidized the costs for the printing of the coloring books. “This is one of many ways that Advance Auto Parts supports the various communities we serve with trusted partners like Cottman,” said Scott Krinsky, Advance’s Director of Strategic Accounts. “We are excited to be part of this effort to provide fun activities for children that teach them the importance of car service at an early age.”

“This is for the kids. Gives them something to do at home, and, since I have two children of my own, I know that the more activities, the better,” says Beck. “And if we can help them learn something they can use when they’re older, so much the better.”

For more information — or to download an electronic version of the coloring book that you can print yourself — visit the https://cottman.com/cottman-man-coloring-book/.

About Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care:
With locations across the U.S., Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care is a transmission and auto repair brand that services almost any make or model vehicle, foreign or domestic. Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care centers specialize in complete transmission service, including brakes, suspension, air conditioning systems, and much more. Cottman is based in Horsham, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.cottman.com and www.TheCottmanManBlog.com.

About Advance Auto Parts:
Advance Auto Parts, Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America, serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers. As of April 23, 2016 Advance operated 5,086 stores and 125 Worldpac branches and serves approximately 1,300 independently owned Carquest branded stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. Advance employs approximately 74,000 Team Members. Additional information about the Company, employment opportunities, customer services, and online shopping for parts, accessories, and other offerings can be found on the Company’s website at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.