These engaging interactive titles invite children to pore over the eye-catching artwork and to find animals and shapes in many different guises. The playfulness of the subject matter entertains young viewers while cleverly honing observation skills and sparking imaginations.

Ljungkvist, Laura. Search and Spot: Animals! illus. by Laura Ljungkvist. 40p. HMH. Oct. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780544540057.

K-Gr 3 –In the popular tradition of seek-and-find books, this title presents a visual puzzle, inviting readers on an adventure from city to countryside and back. Not merely a grouping of photographs, each digitally designed page encourages the inquisitive to spot expertly hidden objects within colorfully patterned backgrounds, tricking the eye with minute changes between images of different shape, size, and silhouette. It’s a hunt for detail and increasingly difficult with each page—demanding that viewers find birds that do not chirp, hooting owls, “scampering” rabbits and squirrels among the trees, a daddy longlegs on a page of outlined insects, or a shadowy kitten in the geometric lines of tall buildings at sunset. Soft on the eye, the pages avoid bright clutter, but conceal images within subdued colors and contrasts, encouraging searchers to identify patterns or note an irregularity. Just as one might celebrate finding the last of the animals, there’s even a final request to examine each page yet again. This book is a treat for those who enjoy testing themselves visually; the collection draws on prior knowledge and provides scenes of morning to night. VERDICT A welcome addition for a wide range of readers.–Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Savage, Stephen. Where’s Walrus? and Penguin? illus. by Stephen Savage. 32p. Scholastic. Sept. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780545402958.

PreS-Gr 2 –One drizzly day, adventuresome Walrus escapes from the zoo—as he did in Where’s Walrus? (Scholastic, 2011)—but this time, he’s accompanied by his new pal, Penguin. The two seem to be one step ahead of the blue-uniformed and mustachioed zookeeper who has difficulty spotting the runaways, though young children will readily point them out in the clean-lined, digitally created, colorful illustrations. The two make their way through the wordless pages, trying their hands at a variety of occupations, including newspaper hawker, opera star, and baseball player until an accident leads them in an unexpected direction. Gentle humor is displayed throughout the tale of the enterprising pair as they wear a variety of hats that depict their occupation of the moment and render them, at times, unrecognizable to the baffled but relentless zookeeper. VERDICT This charming book stands on its own and will be welcomed by readers new to Walrus as well as fans of the original.–Maryann H. Owen, Children’s Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI

Scheffler, Axel. Flip Flap Safari. illus. by Axel Scheffler. 28p. Candlewick. 2015. Tr $11.99. ISBN 9780763676056. LC 2014939362.

PreS-Gr 2 –There’s something undeniably goofy and cheery about the art of Scheffler, author of the “Pip and Posy” books (Nosy Crow), and illustrator of Julia Donaldson’s “Gruffalo” titles (Dial), among others. Those googly eyes and oddly expressive faces of the characters he draws, whether human or animal, and even their stances (think: the Gruffalo walking thru the wood) can’t help but make readers smile. Add in an abundance of bright colors and amusing details, and his pictures are a guaranteed delight. Each spread of the sturdy spiral-bound Safari features two large-print four-line stanzas on the left and a full-page image of a creature featuring Scheffler trademark art on the right. Each picture includes a few words indicating one of the sounds these wild animals might make (e.g., “Roar! Roar!” for the lion, “Munch! Munch!” for the giraffe). The humorous verses offer a few details about the creature’s anatomy, senses, sound, speed, or behavior (re: the warthog: “My snout has lots of lumps and bumps;/my tusks are sharp and short./I swish my tail and flap my ears/ and give a great big snort.”) The pages are split in two horizontally, allowing readers—with a flip or a flap—to make some curious creatures such as the girah (half giraffe, half cheetah) or the wartelope (half warthog, half antelope). Since the second group of stanzas on each page focus on legs, movement, or color of the animal’s coat, they pair up nicely with the newly made fantastical creatures. An interactive iPad version of the book (Nosy Crow, 2014) is also available. VERDICT Irresistible fun in durable packaging.–Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal

Ungerer, Tomi. Snail, Where Are You? illus. by Tomi Ungerer. 32p. Phaidon. 2015. Tr $14.95. ISBN 9780714867991.

PreS-Gr 1 –First published in 1962, Ungerer’s classic concept book has been repackaged for a new generation of children. The nearly wordless picture book invites readers to search for snails hidden within each illustration. These are not outright depictions of snails, but rather spiral shapes, like those of a snail shell, seamlessly blended into Ungerer’s creative—albeit eccentric—drawings. Thus, snails can be found in all sorts of odd and unlikely places, such as ocean waves, the curled-up trunk of an elephant, and the circular pattern on the ice made by a twirling figure skater. The result is a clever and unusual picture puzzle challenge, in which children are asked to conceptualize the shape of a snail and find it hidden throughout a varied set of madcap pictures. VERDICT Despite their simple lines and colors, the illustrations are whimsical and bright, and their imaginative quirkiness elevates Ungerer’s work from standard concept book fare to a more noteworthy, thought-provoking, and unique experience.–Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY