Wick (Walter Wick's Optical Tricks; the I Spy series) unleashes his boundless imagination to devise a dozen playful picture puzzles, each with a distinct theme. The large-scale photographs feature a carefully choreographed assortment of contemporary and vintage toys and other kid-pleasing paraphernalia. Alongside the images, a deceptively simple verse instructs youngsters to spot specific items in the picture. The author cleverly tweaks the game at the end of each rhyme, inviting readers (sometimes rather cryptically) to enter a puzzle-within-a-puzzle: they must either follow a maze, match two sets of objects, find differences in seemingly similar images or spot an optical illusion. Several of Wick's compositions stand out as particularly novel: one photo set in a wood shop reveals freshly carved animal figures, sprinkled with wood shavings; another assembles hundreds of miniature animals, beads and other objects used in making play jewelry—all of them translucent and sparkling against a white background. Even sharp-eyed readers will find some of Wick's puzzles quite challenging to complete. These pages are nearly guaranteed to keep kids happily occupied for hours and coming back for return visits. All ages. (Mar.)
