There's Still Time to Find Waldo in Bethel!

Once again, in celebration of the longevity and popularity of the Where's Waldo picture books, the series' American publisher, Candlewick Press, is teaming up with the American Booksellers Association and 250 independent bookstores across the country for some hide-and-seek fun to encourage communities to patronize their local businesses. Throughout July, Waldo will be hiding in Byrd’s Books and 24 other Bethel businesses, and it's your job to find him.

To participate, pick up a Where’s Waldo? passport at any participating business or download a copy at byrdsbooks.com, and start hunting. Get your passport stamped or signed for each Waldo you spot. Once you’ve found Waldo at 10 different businesses, head back to Byrd’s Books to pick up your prizes — a Waldo sticker and a coupon for $1 off any Waldo book in the store. Waldo hunters who get their passports stamped or signed at 20 or more businesses are invited to attend a gala Where’s Waldo? party, which will be held on Wednesday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m. at Byrd’s Books. Collecting store stamps or signatures at 20 or more businesses will also entitle diligent seekers entry into a grand-prize drawing on July 31, with the top prize being a copy of Where’s Waldo? Destination: Everywhere!, a tribute to Waldo’s many decades of wandering. (Note: this year the top two prizes MUST be present to win.)

To make things a little more challenging, Waldo’s nemesis, Odlaw, will also be hiding in Byrd’s Books. The other participating merchants are A New Beginning, Alice's Flower Shop, The Athlete's Source, Bethel Cycle Works, Bethel Music Center, Carlson Physical Therapy, Daily Fare, English Apothecary, Escape Salon & Spa, Famous Pizza, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker, Town of Bethel, CT, Fix Your Phone Now,The Gift Cottage, Molten Java, Paul Morton Jewelers, Peachwave, Petvalu, Quality Gem, Silver Touch, Stony Hill Hardware, Tom's Paint & Wallpaper, The Toy Room, UK Gourmet, and Varano Bakery.

Martin Handford’s collections of crowd scenes took the world by storm in the late 1980s, and since then, they have held a cherished spot on bookstore shelves, highlighted foremost in Byrd's Books' extensive children's collection. There are now over 72 million Waldo books in print worldwide, and they’ve been translated into over thirty languages. An entire generation has grown up searching for Waldo. 

There is no charge to participate, and the hunt lasts for the entire month of July.