Look & Find Books for Kids

I remember as a kid pouring over our tattered copy of Where’s Waldo? It was so fun looking for Waldo, his friends, and all the things he lost among the pages. As I was working on this post, I found out that Where’s Waldo? is a British import that’s actually called Where’s Wally? across the pond!

If you’ve got a kid at home or in school who loves searching for tiny details, take a look at this list of Look & Find books. And if you’re having trouble finding them, sometimes they’re called search and find, hidden pictures, and picture riddles. I threw in a couple of unexpected titles like The Bear’s Song which has an unexpected search and find component. And Have You Seen Gordon? about a character who can’t help but stand out! And if your weather has been anything like mine this week, then these are a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. They’d also make a perfect distraction in that little bit of time between work and dinner when you’re trying to get something on the table and have little ones underfoot!

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Look & Find Books for Kids

Around the World in 80 Pictures by Aleksandra Artymoska

Inspired by Jules Verne’s iconic novel, this stunning puzzle book is a treat for readers of all ages. Aleksandra Artymowska’s imagining of the classic tale is packed with steamships, airships, railways, penny-farthings, and any other kind of transport you can imagine — and it will take you on a voyage like no other. Each intricate puzzle, from labyrinthine mazes to missing-object hunts, is guaranteed to fascinate, puzzle, and inspire. It’s a book to pour over again and again.

The Bear’s Song by Benjamin Chaud

“Sweet” has new meaning in this richly illustrated, immersive picture book about two bears on a big-city adventure. Papa Bear is searching for Little Bear, who has escaped the den. Little Bear is following a bee, because where there are bees, there is honey! When the quest leads both bears into the bustling city and a humming opera house, theatrical hijinks ensue, culminating in a deliciously harmonious reunion. Children and parents alike will savor Benjamin Chaud’s lush illustrations, and relish in the book’s bonus seek-and-find elements.

The Hardest Hidden Pictures Book Ever by Highlights

A great gift for anyone who loves a puzzle challenge, this engaging activity book is filled with more than 1,500 total objects to find. Kids (and grown-ups, too) will need to keep their eyes peeled searching through hilarious scenes like sloths playing ping pong, dogs enjoying a fiesta, and a fishy carnival. There are both full-color and classic black-and-white scenes to solve.

Over 125 pages of puzzles adds up to hours of screen-free fun, great for keeping kids engaged during road trips or rainy afternoons at home. Plus, this children’s book is crafted by puzzle experts to include learning benefits parents can count on. Searching for hidden objects is a great way for kids to develop important school skills like vocabulary, concentration and visual perception. Every puzzle solved will boost kids’ confidence and encourage them to take on new challenges.

Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan

Have you seen Gordon? Oh. There he is. Gordon isn’t very good at hiding, is he?

The narrator wants to play hide and seek with Gordon and the reader, but Gordon just wants to stand out. This madcap, fourth wall–breaking picture book is packed with humor and full, zany spreads with details kids will return to again and again.

I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles by Jean Marzollo, photographs by Walter Wick

Search-and-find riddles paired with amazing photographs will captivate kids of all ages in the bestselling I Spy series.

Acclaimed I Spy creators Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo use everyday objects to enhance intellectual discovery. From a castle of blocks to a box full of toys, readers can examine the different objects, solve the picture riddles, and become an I Spy detective!

Mr. Tweed and the Band In Need by Jim Stoten

Mr. Tweed is back with a brand new adventure, and he needs your help once more! He’s come to the zoo to see his favorite ten-piece band perform, but they can’t find each other—can you spot them amongst all the other animals?

A beautifully illustrated search-and-find book from the wacky imagination of Jim Stoten. Children are encouraged to participate in the hunt for the missing band members, who are cleverly hidden within Stoten’s wonderfully whimsical and brightly colored drawings.

Penelope Strudel and the Birthday Treasure Hunt by Brendan Kearney

Penelope Strudel and the Birthday Treasure Hunt is a fun, eccentric search-and-find book perfect for children 5+. Explore every larger-than-life room in Custard Manor with two-page spreads filled with funny details, then crack the codes that lead you to the next room. With a host of wacky wildlife running amok throughout the Manor, children are sure to discover something new with every read.

From T-Rex skeletons in the Museum Room to a giraffe in the Orangery, there’s a surprise around every corner in Custard Manor. But those naughty puffins have trashed the place! Spot 11 in every room, alongside Crumble the dog, Lawrence the cat, and an array of hidden details waiting to be discovered.

Get busy spotting each item on the checklist in every room, then put your noggin to use solving a number of puzzles to help Penelope on her great treasure hunt! Penelope Strudel offers hours of puzzle fun for budding detectives. The luxuriously illustrated rooms of Custard Manor make this a perfect gift for birthdays or holidays, and a great interactive read to keep young minds busy.

Dinosaur Detective’s Search-and-Find Rescue Mission by Sophie Guerrive

Jump aboard the red airplane with Dinosaur Detective and travel the world in search of lost animals and people. From the jungle to the stormy sea to outer space, test your spotting skills in this puzzle-packed tour of a dozen different destinations. Kids will love this mystery hide-and-seek spotting adventure with a flying dinosaur detective!

Richard Scarry’s Busytown Seek and Find! by Richard Scarry

Richard Scarry’s Busytown is a lovely place, with so much to see and do. Now children ages two to five can join the fun with this sturdy Busytown Seek and Find board book! Kids can search the busy full-color pages for their favorite characters and tons of hidden objects! A great way to introduce children to Richard Scarry’s Busytown.

Where’s the Pair? A Spotting Book by Britta Teckentrup

Can you spot the Siamese cats? Where are the fish with matching fins? This fabulous follow-up to stand-out title The Odd One Out features rhyming riddles accompanied by patterned artwork, within which the answer lies. Never has a search-and-find game been so pleasing to the eye than with this stylish title from the talented Britta Teckentrup, presented in an upmarket, contemporary format.

Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford

In the amazing original that set off the worldwide search for Waldo, the intrepid traveler is trekking from the beach to the mountains, the city to the county fair. And everywhere he goes, he somehow manages to lose more belongings to be found.

Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug! by Laura Ljungkvist

Yoo-hoo, Ladybug!
Where are you?
There you are…
afloat in the bath,
with Duck and Giraffe!

Ladybug loves to hide. Come along on a treasure hunt to find this sneaky little bug, wherever she may be! Children will delight in this picture book game of hide-and-seek and will eagerly read along, pointing out Ladybug’s newest and cleverest hiding spot time and again.