Mystery Mansion: A Seek-And-Find Puzzle Book: Seek-And Find Puzzle Book

Tommy always liked to check the mail and today he received an envelope just for him, an invitation from his Aunt Jeanne to come over for a special visit. But when he arrives, instead of Aunt Jeanne, he finds a note on the gate telling him to come on up to the house. At the front door he finds another note telling him to enter and as soon as he steps into the hall a third note begins to explain what's going on. You don't need me/To lead you around./Follow my notes/And what's lost will be found. Explore every corner/Of my happy home./There's something of interest/Wherever you roam... A treasure hunt! Let the games begin..... Michael Garland has authored a marvelous interactive book that youngsters will be crazy about. A letter to the reader at the beginning of the book explains just what you need to do as you travel from room to room with Tommy. There are lots of things to find in each amazing bold, busy and vivid illustration...letters that spell out a secret message, special words, three magical creatures and over 400 frogs, butterflies, lizards, snakes, mice bats, fish and birds, as well as Aunt Jeanne who is never far away from the action. Some are in plain sight and easily seen, some are hidden and still others are camouflaged and disguised and take a little work to find. Each charming rhyming note tells you where to go and what to look for and the storyline itself gives helpful hints. You'll need pencil, paper and patience, but this treasure hunt is worth it and ends with a big surprise and a creative answer key to check your work. Perfect for youngsters 9-12, kids 5-8 will enjoy the book just as much but will need a little help to solve the puzzle. Mystery Mansion is a great activity for a rainy day or a long car or plane trip and will keep children busy and engaged for hours.

Books that encourage observation and thinking are always in demand with me as gifts for children. Mystery Mansion is a nice combination of both. The book is difficult enough that several people can work on it simultaneously. Those who enjoy this book will eventually graduate to the I Spy . . . and Where's Waldo? books. This book can be enjoyed as a prereader by spotting the hidden creatures and characters, or as a reader by locating the hidden letters and messages as well. I suspect that it will be most appealing to 6-7 year olds who have a taste for slightly scary situations and creatures. The potential discomfort is lessened by seeing Aunt Jeanne hiding on each page that involves the mansion. The creatures are not really threatening, they just look ugly. Aunt Jeanne sends a rhyming invitation to her Victorian mansion after she returns from a trip. Although she's not there, she leaves other rhyming clues to direct her nephew Tommy. She has Tommy all over the house and grounds, and into secret places as well. Her rhymes are pretty simple, but are probably like what someone's actual aunt might write. "On the trip I collected/My own little zoo./I chose all the creatures/Especially for you." "I am the cheese,/You are the mouse . . . .""Find the next note/And your tour will begin . . . ."The main challenge is to find all the creatures. These include bats, snakes, frogs, lizards, mice, fish, butterflies, and birds. Be sure to count ones that are reflections or appear as sculptures. Use the cover and all the pages. There are a lot to count. For younger children, you'll probably have to help them keep count.You also have three mystery characters to look for.In addition, throughout the pages there are hidden letters which you can unscramble for a message. On another page, there are letters for unscrambling a second message.The answers are in the back of the book, for those who want to check their work. To me, the book's main drawback is that after it has all been figured out it will not be as much fun. But it will probably still be pulled out from time to time as memory fades. When it hasn't been pulled out in a year, I suggest that you ask your child's permission to give the book to someone else for whom it will be brand new. Perhaps a cousin would enjoy it.After you have finished having fun with this, I suggest that you think about staging your own version of the book at home for a special occasion. You could have cut-outs or decals of little creatures to scatter all over the house. Just be sure that you keep a map of where you put them, so they can be retrieved later if any are missed.Look closely at all that is around you to see the wonder of our world.