Mystery Mansion: A Seek-and-Find Puzzle Book: Seek-and Find Puzzle Book - Hardcover

Michael Garland is the prolific and versatile author-illustrator of many children's books.

Gr 2-4-Children who enjoy poring over crowded pictures and cataloging details will have a ball with this new offering from the creator of Dinner at Magritte's (Viking, 2001)-though only the truly indefatigable may be able to stay the course. Directed by a series of rhymed notes from his mysterious Aunt Jeanne, young Tommy undertakes a tour of her palatial house and gardens, passing hints and visual clues that he will have a surprise birthday party at the end. The big, brightly patterned rooms and locales he traverses are positively encrusted with small animals (more than 400, according to the itemized list at the end), plus hidden words, a trio of magical creatures, and often a concealed Aunt Jeanne watching his progress with a smile. Garland doesn't try very hard to camouflage this plethora of birds, butterflies, reptiles, and other creatures, but even young detectors trained on Ruth Brown's If at First You Do Not See (Holt, 1995) or Walter Wick's dazzling photographs for the "I Spy" series (Scholastic) will find keeping a running tally, then matching it to the author's, a tempting challenge.

John Peters, New York Public Library

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.