Rediscovering the Joy of Hidden Pictures
Do you remember Highlights magazine? If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, you likely have cherished memories of the beloved page known as “Hidden Pictures.” This engaging page featured a charming yet simplistic illustration of scenes like a sun-soaked beach or a bustling school playground, all while cleverly concealing hidden objects such as an anchor, a peanut, or a hammer. With the guide in hand, which indicated the items to discover, you would eagerly dive in, meticulously searching every nook and cranny of the page. The excitement heightened when you teamed up with a friend, turning it into a competitive race to see who could find the most objects first. And nothing was more disappointing than flipping to Page 7—home to “Hidden Pictures”—only to find that a thoughtless visitor had already circled the hidden treasures.
In the early 20th century, American newspapers frequently published similar brainteasers. For instance, a puzzle in a 1913 San Francisco newspaper challenged readers to find “twenty very pretty summer girls” hidden within a picture. However, the art of embedding hidden elements in a scene can be traced back thousands of years. Chinese landscape artists during the Tang and Song dynasties would cleverly conceal miniature structures within their vast mountain landscapes. Even today, visitors flock to the Met Cloisters to admire the famous tapestry titled “Unicorn Rests in a Garden,” where crowds excitedly search for a frog nestled within its intricate medieval foliage.
Scientists have discovered that engaging in activities like solving puzzles or locating hidden images activates the brain’s reward system. Those exhilarating “aha” moments, when an elusive item is finally found, release a burst of dopamine, generating feelings of pleasure and encouraging us to continue the search. This insight may help explain the enduring popularity of “Hidden Pictures” in Highlights, as well as the sustained success of franchises like Where’s Waldo?, I Spy, and Can You See What I See?, which have captivated audiences for decades.
Among these gems is WHERE’S WALDO? THE MIGHTY MAGICAL MIX-UP (Candlewick, 32 pp., $18.99, ages 5 to 9), the eighth installment in Martin Handford’s iconic series featuring the bespectacled adventurer Waldo, and the first new release in 15 years. In this whimsical tale, a mishap occurs when Wizard Whitebeard misplaces his magic staff, triggering a time-space mix-up that transports characters from the Stone Age to the Wild West. As I perused the pages, nostalgia washed over me as I recalled the countless hours my children and I spent marveling at Waldo’s escapades during their early years. While I dare say this book may not possess the same visual impact as some of the older editions (I still hold a soft spot for “Where’s Waldo? In Hollywood”), it certainly delivers on its promise, showcasing Handford’s unique ability to infuse humor into his vibrant crowd scenes.
Although my children and I were never particularly fond of the widely popular I Spy series, created by photographer Walter Wick and first introduced in 1992, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself captivated by THE CURIOSITY SHOP (Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, 40 pp., $18.99, ages 4 to 8). This enchanting book marks the 11th addition to Wick’s Can You See What I See? series, which debuted in 2002 and offers a more narrative-driven, cinematic experience compared to I Spy. Set within a mysterious shop filled to the brim with treasures like vintage maps, marionettes, colored glass, and antique toys, readers are guided by playful rhymes to uncover hidden items (“3 safety pins,/2 electric guitars,/an ON/OFF switch,/a bus, 8 cars”). Each scene artfully transitions into the next, pulling readers deeper into the shop’s enchanting world, reminiscent of a virtual real estate tour. It is a stunning and atmospheric journey that invites exploration.
