Since I Spy and Where’s Waldo, seek and find novels have advanced significantly! Although those timeless classics are still fantastic books to occupy your children, I’ve discovered some intriguing new search and find titles that will exercise your children’s visual perception abilities, instill patience in them, and motivate them to strive toward a goal. I’ve grouped these books by seeking and finding difficulty since some are better suited for older children and others are great for toddlers.
SEEK AND FIND BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND UP
Any book may be converted into a can-you-find book for young children. Simply directing them to the dog or another item by saying, “Point to the doggie,” will do. However, preschoolers prefer activities that are a little harder. The chore of finding hidden things in these books for children ages 3 and up is encouraged, but it is not very difficult. The novels grow tougher as you go down the list, so I’ve placed the simplest ones at the front. Yes, elementary-aged children will also find enjoyment in all of them.
Seasons by Philip Giordano. Turn-Seek-Find is such a creative spin on the seek-and-find book. Each two-page spread features two wheels for young hands to whirl and is decorated with large, vibrant pictures. One wheel shows a grayscale item, such as a mushroom or robin. The opposite wheel spins and shows one of two colors (each season has different colors). Little eyes then spot the relevant item in the right color. A must-have for fans of the search and find genre.
Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug! by Mem Fox. A lady bug may be found hiding in many interior spaces. Children search for the spotted beetle in each of the opening illustrations before turning the page to get a close-up of the little ladybug. Simple yet entertaining to read out loud, the text. For preschoolers, this is a fantastic first seek-and-find book.
Where’s Walrus and Penguin? by Steven Savage. The sequel to Where’s Walrus? This time, Walrus and Penguin make their escape from the zoo, and they once again lurk in plain sight throughout the city. While walruses and penguins are not difficult to identify, their ingenious use of color and design makes finding them fun.
Have You Seen My Lunch Box? by Steve Light. A boy gets ready for school in settings that many kids will recognize. He must search his cluttered home for his misplaced possessions along the way. The items in this narrative are not difficult to locate because of Light’s use of color in his mostly black and white pictures. Children will enjoy pointing out the boy’s misplaced socks, pencil case, and other commonplace items even though this is not a traditional search-and-find book.
The Lost Picnic by B.B. Cronin. This is so adorable! According to the legend, grandpa is bringing his small ones on a picnic, but the food gets misplaced. Young readers will want to keep flicking back the pages to ensure they’ve discovered all the food since the vibrant visuals give so much to look at.
Have You Seen My Dragon? and Have You Seen My Monster by Steve Light? What could be more wonderful than the thought that a mystical dragon or an adorable creature is at large? Readers are taken on a search for the creature with a young kid across the city or amusement park in exquisitely detailed illustrations. Each book serves as a platform to introduce new ideas. Finding the dragon needs counting to twenty; finding the monster entails finding 20 different forms.
Where’s the Baby? by Britta Teckentrup. Teckentrup publishes a line of “spotting books” with gorgeous illustrations. In this one, a rhyme that asks the reader to identify the baby among a bunch of animals appears on each page. The series’ other books put young investigators to the test by asking them to look for pairings, the odd one out, or other differences.
Bear’s Springtime Book of Hidden Things by Gergely Dudás. A seasonal series, this book is quite adorable. Bear leaves to look for products with a spring motif, such as rain boots, caterpillars, chicks, and baskets. The hunt and find component is just demanding enough to keep a child’s attention while not being so challenging as to be annoying.
Who What Where? by Olivier Tallec. This is another book series with a unique twist. The reader of these ingenious, horizontally oriented books is tasked with unraveling a riddle about the scenario shown in each image. There is a list of amusing characters to choose from underneath each scenario. Children will enjoy looking at the hilarious photographs. Because the solution is not always evident, it will need excellent observational skills and a close examination of the setting to figure it out. For the first few chapters, helpful adults may be able to pose leading questions, but youngsters will enjoy figuring it out on their own. highly recommended
Little Bear’s Big House by Benjamin Chaud. I like the large volumes in this Little Bear adventure series! Finding Little Bear in each massive, intricate two-page spread is so pleasant. Little Bear finds an empty home in this episode and decides to explore. Chaud’s Little Bear books also contain highly captivating storylines, in contrast to the bulk of search and find or I Spy-type books. highly recommended
Catch Me: A Seek and Find Book by Anders Arhoj. These hide-and-seek books, along with Find Me: A Hide-and-Seek Book, are a lot of fun. I giggled while putting it up to my face and peeping out at my kids to catch them off guard since the eyes on the front and back covers are cut-outs. (I sometimes go a bit crazy.) The tale can be read backward and forward thanks to the comical images, which is a wonderful approach to inspire youngsters to consider storytelling in new ways. The cats Big Meow and Little Woof dart around the pages, looking for their owners.
SEEK AND FIND BOOKS FOR AGES 5 AND UP
The majority of preschoolers who appreciate the activities below look for picture books. Some of them are tougher than others, but if your kid improves at spotting items concealed in the pictures, they may wish to try the more challenging books. Kids in kindergarten and higher, as well as those in elementary school, can easily handle any of these tasks! Of course, parents will take advantage of the pleasant respite to finish that cold cup of coffee, sometimes being distracted by an exuberant “I found it!”
Around the World with Mouk by Marc Boutavant. This seek-and-find book, which was first released in France, follows Mouk, the bear, on his travels. The vivid pictures depict Mouk interacting with and discovering many civilizations. For an added level of interactivity, the narrative includes reusable stickers that readers can use to hunt for and identify objects in the drawings.
Pierre the Maze Detective: The Search for the Stolen Maze Stone by Hiro Kamigaki includes 15 highly detailed mazes for readers to travel through. Children are motivated to read because of the captivating plot and the complex graphics that provide clues to solve riddles. This is an excellent choice if you’re searching for a book that kids will study for hours! Additionally, it’s a series!
Look for Ladybug in Plant City by Katherina Manolessou. Any ladybug would want to get lost in the wonderful world of Plant City. Older children will enjoy the visual gags and mystical features in the drawings, while smaller children may enjoy aiding the detectives in their search for the elusive ladybug.
Adèle & Simon by Barbara McClintock. One of my all-time favorite children’s books is this one. On their walk home from school, Adèle and her younger brother, Simon, pass by several famous Parisian landmarks. Readers are challenged to locate the missing objects in the intricate paintings since absent-minded Simon loses something at every opportunity. The children’s voyage across the city is beautifully shown on the final maps.
Spot, the Cat by Henry Cole. Here’s another collection of detailed black-and-white line drawings. I was correct when I assumed that any book with such a creative title would be an excellent choice. The cat, named Spot, leaves his house and travels to the city. On his journeys, he passes by well-known locations like marketplaces, bridges, parks, etc. Children will enjoy seeing how the two in this wordless narrative narrowly miss each other while his owner, a lad, is out seeking for him.
Dinosaur Detective’s Search-and-Find Rescue Mission by Sophie Guerrive. A dinosaur investigator is traveling the globe in search of missing creatures. Each complex two-page spread challenges readers to assist in locating each animal and a variety of other items. I like how Guerrive provided detailed descriptions of the missing pets and items. For instance, “a cow wearing a green frock” or “a cat wearing a blue collar with a gold ring.”
