Member Reviews
This is exactly what the title implies. This is a “Waldo” type of book, but instead of finding Waldo, you’re finding various things under the letter of that page. The illustrations are fun and the author illustrator even talks about how while they’ve left the images black-and-white so the reader could find joy in coloring them. This is well done, and I can see it getting checked out over and over again.
This is an excellent seek and find book for children and adults. Each letter has a long list of words that start with the letter and a large picture containing those words. I am glad that there is an answer section in the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Well if you've ever found reason to complain about books not lasting long enough before someone has done all the tasks in them, and had the maximum fun, get on board with this one. Twenty-six times we get an alphabetical list of things and one large black and white drawing featuring them all – and yes, that does include the arowana fish from the A list, the Fukuiraptor, and even a morning glory (hopefully when we're told to check the definition of words we don't know, something a bit fruity doesn't crop up and it's just a plant…).
And you don't have to stop with the list of things to spot – although that will take enough time as it is, thank you very much. You can take the surrealism from these pages and get creative with your imagination – why is the crested centurion crossing a canal in a chariot pulled by cows? And there seem too many UFOs – I am sure there is some narrative being played out there.
This is a surprisingly all-ages volume, and not just because it quickly gets us to ask our grandads who Creedence Clearwater Revival were. Esoteric musical references, Haruki Murakami – whose face is in all our minds' eyes, of course – and so on mean you certainly don't have to be a youngster to get stuck into things. The trivia when it peppers the wordlists is not just for the school-aged, either – the term for someone unable to pronounce their L sounds something to try and remember, however successfully.
What this isn't, and bears mentioning in case I've left the wrong impression, is heavy and worthy. This is a task and a half, just as its creation must have been a labour of love and a half, but it isn't going to be a boring, dry, heads-down ordeal, unless you make it so. The visuals are full of the frivolous, as I say, and you get into these worldviews with the intention of getting caught up in their complexity and invention for the fun of it.
This really wouldn't have worked if printed small, but it's bigger than A4 and even then is possibly a bit straining. There is a sequel in the works, but I don't see it as being a rush job – there is no evidence this was one at all. I hope it was all worth the graft and grind and grit etc – this deserves to be a huge success.
Andrew Ruhre's 'Amazing A-Z AlphaQuest Activity Book' is a fascinating journey through the alphabet, packed with a rich array of illustrations and an impressive collection of words to discover for each letter. The book stands out for its detailed and captivating artwork, which holds the reader's attention and encourages exploration on every page. With over 200 objects to identify, it offers a delightful challenge for word enthusiasts and puzzle lovers.
However, one aspect that might be a bit of a stumbling block is the answering key. Its layout and presentation can be somewhat confusing, potentially making the process of checking answers less straightforward than one might hope. This complexity, along with the advanced level of the puzzles, positions the book more as a treasure trove for adults rather than a tool for children. The intricacy and depth of the content seem to cater more to an adult audience, who will appreciate the intellectual challenge and the intricate details of the illustrations.
In summary, the 'Amazing A-Z AlphaQuest Activity Book' by Andrew Ruhre is an engaging and beautifully illustrated book, perfect for adults who enjoy delving into detailed word searches and intricate puzzles. While it may not be the best fit for a younger audience, it certainly offers a unique and enjoyable experience for adult puzzle enthusiasts.
A unique search and find book for readers looking for a challenge. With seemingly endless things to find, many illustrations are very busy and detailed making it quite hard to find everything in the list. To add to the challenge, illustrations are in black and white, allowing you the colour in each item as you find it.
This is a fantastic seek and find book for children and adults. There are pages for each letter of the alphabet, with lists of objects you can find and interesting facts. At the end, there is even a solution list.
My favorite part is that, if you own the book, you can also color in the pictures, which look really fun to color.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me preview this
This was so fun! I was expecting so many things to search for which made for tons of long lasting fun with the kids. Great for homseschool.
A feast for your eyes and your brain!
Where's Waldo for adults. What a fun book to enjoy. The pictures are clever and fun to peruse. I enjoyed it very much although I do wish the pictures were in color.
Such a fun seek-and-find book for both adults and children. Bravo to the author for such a wonderfully creative idea. The illustrations seem to me to be in the vintage style which is not my preference. I only have an electronic copy so I wonder if the really really small drawings would be too difficult to find. I like that there is an answer section at the back so you’re not left hanging when you’ve finally given up on looking for something.
As a librarian, my eyes automatically fell on the words “Dewey Decimal System” but to my dismay, I could not find anything that might symbolise the classification system. I peeked at the answer and was puzzled to see something that I have no idea about. Maybe I am missing something.
4 stars. Fun, creative and learning opportunities for anyone from older children to those of us with gray hair.
This is a fun book. The illustrations are cute. I like that it’s not only looking for the images but also getting to color them in. This book would be a great way to unwind and relax. This would be great for kids and adults.
Amazing A-Z AlphaQuest Activity Book is a great addition to the seek-and-find book collection. Each letter has a long list of words that start with the letter and a huge intricate seek-and-d illustration containing those words. I learned some very interesting facts about each letter. The illustrations are kind of fever dream-ish (in a good way!) - great for adults and teens, and maybe older children depending on the kid. I didn't notice anything particularly 'inappropriate' on my read through. I think there was a whale smoking a cigar on one page and some of the drawings are a little creepy looking (jack in the boxes are not my thing), but nothing really bothered me!
I just reviewed Amazing A-Z AlphaQuest Activity Book by Andrew Ruhren. #AmazingAZAlphaQuestActivityBook #NetGalley
Beautiful! My son loves seek and finds and I am so excited to add this to our collection. The “bonus “ is expanding his vocabulary while doing these! I can’t wait to get our hands on a physical copy to fully enjoy!
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for being able to preview this book in advance of publication.
Search and find books are very popular in my elementary school library. This one has up to 250 things to look for that start with each letter of the alphabet. As an added bonus you can color the illustrations as well. While that is great fun if you own the book it is a downside for a library setting. Although my students do pretty well when we add warning reminders to the book not to color or mark off items. Seeing this only digitally I can’t judge the paper quality but assume it is for colored pencils. This seems like those adult type coloring books but I would say for anyone eight or up. (You need to be able to read and know what something looks like.) There is even an index if at the back to help you find an item if you can’t locate it on your own.
I can't wait for this to be published so I can have my own copy! I have always loved Highlights picture finds and this feels like a grand scale version.
This amazingly brain-stimulating series of puzzles and activities will keep you entertained for quite a while. It would make a worthy companion for all times. It was an engaging, illustrated, and impressive bunch of mind-boggling puzzles and activities book.
I love this book, but I think it will get drawn on in a library setting. This is a great raffle prize though! It can be a coloring book and a search and find book!
Love these sort of books, where one needs to find the items in the pictures. This one searches via the alphabet, and takes time to find the items. But what is great about this "find the item" is that there are answers at the back of the book, given as grid references. For those of us who have used road maps in the dark past, reading these will be a breeze. One can then color in the page, if one finishes with time to spare, or leave it for another day. Very calming and relaxing both for adults and children, hours of amazing fun. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC
This book is like I Spy for grown, ups very cool! I also really like that the reader can colour in the pictures.
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I wish I had the opportunity to print this one out because I could look at the illustrations forever.,.but I’ll wait for the hardcopy to be published and buy it then! This felt like a zen-type activity book (like sudoku or crosswords), but kept more interesting with the intricate, detailed, and awesome illustrations. I would love to sit with this book, listen to a podcast, and zone right out. The pictures may be extremely detailed and busy, but I didn’t find it to be overwhelming. I also appreciated the clear and concise find-it checklists! I’m hoping this activity book with be in the adult sections because there are some not very G-rated images.
I think this is a great book, I loved looking through the illustrations and paging back and forth. It was a bit overwhelming at first - I was expecting a list per one or two pages, not one giant list that encapsulated the whole book - but it definitely held my attention for a long time. I think it would be easier to use as a physical book than as the pdf, and I think a lot of people will enjoy it. I also like that since it's in black and white the author also recommending coloring it in so there is multiple layers of entertainment that can be pulled from the book (as well as an answer key for those particularly frustrating ones).