Forster’s Book Garden to host 20th annual Where’s Waldo Hunt

Written By KIRA WRONSKA DORWARD

Waldo, of Where's Waldo, is now like other millennials - hitting his third decade. 

Come celebrate Waldo's entry into real adulthood by participating in the Where's Waldo Hunt at Forster's Book Garden (incidentally celebrating its twentieth anniversary). 

Waldo (or Wally, as he was originally called in Australia and the UK), was invented by British illustrator Martin Handford. 

Handford was employed as a freelance illustrator in 1987, drawing background scenes, of which he was particularly fond, for magazine and advertising companies. This gave him the idea for a book made entirely of crowd scenes, and he approached an illustrator who suggested he make a character the focal point of each illustration in order to make his readers look at his pictures more closely. Thus, Waldo (Wally) was born. 

It took as many as eight weeks to draw each picture for the first Where's Waldo?, but since then the books have been published worldwide in nineteen languages. In France, Waldo goes by “Charlie”, in Germany, “Walter”, Turkey “Ali”, “Efi” in Israel, and Willy in Norway.

From Sept. 14 to Oct. 12, the book store will have twenty hidden Waldos waiting to be found by adults and children alike. Each Waldo has a number corresponding to a skill testing question of various levels to take home and solve with your family (including Canadian author trivia, puzzles, and connect-the-dots), so there's something for everyone and all participants are welcome to get involved. 

Answer ten questions correctly, and you win an entry for one of the grand prizes: gorgeous leather-bound books, two portable hibachi barbeques, and Where's Waldo merchandise. Answering each additional question after the first ten gets you another entry per answer. Find all the Waldos at once, or search for new ones multiple times!

“We decided to have a fun, family-friendly event,” comments Donna Kamiel-Forster, co-owner with her husband Bill and store mascot Sterling the Saint Bernard of Forster's Book Garden. 

She added, “We have activities for both kids and adults, but it can also be done as a family. I want everyone to have a good time. The idea is, they can come in as many times as they want to during the month, at their leisure. People can come when they're available and take their time, on their own schedule. However they want to do it is fine with me. It's a win-win-win, and a great community event.”