Look! A Book! A Zany Seek-and-Find Adventure

Staake's spreads are crammed with so much good cheer that it's almost impossible to look at them without smiling. Readers are directed to find small objects amid dozens of Staake's (We Planted a Tree) gleefully retro figures that crowd each picture: "Bubbles! Bubbles! In the sea! AQUA-GOOFY JUBILEE! Search to find the honeybee!" (With four submarines cruising the depths of this underwater scene as well as a whale with a restaurant in its mouth, it takes a while to find the honeybee, who's circling—where else?—around Uncle Sam's hat.) As if this weren't enough, intervening pages have dime-size die-cut openings that reveal tiny details readers may have missed: "Look! A bowl! A troll! A barber pole!" With polished typography, minty-fresh layout, and crisp-edged figures, the book stays tidy despite the frenetic action, and the rhymed and metered text is carefully wrought. Kids will love the robots and the wacky machines, and adults will appreciate the asides: "WAX FRUIT," says a billboard, "When you need a break from reality." Likely to have a long stay in the bedtime pile. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)