Puzzles Books

The Big Book of Brain Games: 1,000 PlayThinks of Art, Mathematics & Science

Ivan Moscovich

Amazon Price: $15.61 List Price: $22.95 By: Workman Publishing Company - Model: 13466 Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $6.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Sports & Activities -> Games -> Puzzles
Subjects -> Children's Books -> General AAS
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Puzzles & Games -> Logic & Brain Teasers

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Highly recommended book of puzzles 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

A superbly designed book of puzzles. You will find all types of "brain games" with different degrees of difficulty clearly marked. An index at the end of the book allows you to choose a "brain game" according to its type and degree of difficulty. Solutions to all brain games are at the end of the book.
Very colourful and inviting for all ages. Just leave it on your coffee table and all the family will stop to browse it and try their hands (or brains rather) at any of these attractively presented puzzles.

Editorial Review:

An obsessive collection of 1,000 challenges, puzzles, riddles, and illusions--originals as well as must-do classics. It's like popcorn for the brain with jam-packed pages and a full-color illustration for each entry, this book is a call to action. Twelve basic catagories including Geometry, Patterns, Numbers, Logic and Probability, and Perception. An easy-to-read key at the top of each game ranks its difficulty on a scale of 1 to 10, while indices in the back crossreference the puzzles. The answers are included too. 432 pages. 9 3/8 x 10 1/2 inches.

I Spy Treasure Hunt (I Spy)

Jean Marzollo, Walter Wick

Amazon Price: $11.19 List Price: $13.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cartwheel - Model: 0412 Amazon Marketplace: 123 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great book, Wrong Age Range 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I think the I Spy Series is Wonderful and Treasure Hunt has great pictures. My only negative is that the age range listed in Amazon is wrong, and even the 4-8 age range usually listed for this book should be a little higher, like 6-8. I have to admit that I have a hard time finding the pictures, so my 4 year old gets frustrated with this one.

I think the Picture Riddles is a great one for 4 year olds to start with.

Great Book Great scenery 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My husband and 7 kids love these books. They sharpen the mind. We love all I spy except for Spooky Night. Treasure Hunt has great pictures and scenery. You will not be disappointed!!

I spy another great book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful book. I loved it. My students loved using them too.

Editorial Review:

Welcome to I Spy Harbor, where, with the help of a pirate's treasure map, you can find your way from one spectacular location to the next, including an idyllic waterfall, stormy Lighthouse Point, and creepy Skull Rock . . . all on the way to discovering a treasure trove of gold and jewels! Age: 4,5,6,7,8 Manufacturer: Scholastic

A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet

Stephen T. Johnson

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $9.05

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Artists, A-Z -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Artists, A-Z -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

This is NOT your preschoolers' alphabet book... 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is for artists and people who truly appreciate abstract art. Unless you spend a bit of time really understanding what went into the creation of each eye-catching page, you'll be through with it in a jiff and onto the next book without a backwards glance.

My son was not intrigued in the least and I couldn't blame him. But going back and recognizing the scope of work that went into the representation of each letter...well, THEN it became remarkable. Seeing the 'R'(titled "Recycled")represented by a collage of Rubber bands on epoxy Resin, for instance, or the 'D' ("Dotty Diptych") illustrated by an amazing compilation of dominoes on wooden panels (80x70 inches!), is pretty impressive when you think about it. I think people who understand, first hand, how such artistic concepts are fleshed out will really enjoy this book - whether they have a child or not. They may want to use it as a coffee table book, in fact. However, I don't think the casual picture book browser will enjoy it as much.

Editorial Review:

A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet is a remarkable journey of discovery about art and language through painting, collage, and sculpture by Caldecott Honor artist Stephen T. Johnson. With literal renderings of each letter, complete with witty titles and playful, alliterative captions, Johnson's abstract art forges connections between words, objects, and ideas.

Can you find the hidden letters? Look closely and you will see a letter C made of colorful candy, a letter H hidden in a hook, and an S in a soft shadow. From A to Z, each stunning, original work of art will stimulate the imagination and creativity of children and adults alike.

I Spy Little Animals (I Spy)

Jean Marzollo

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cartwheel Amazon Marketplace: 155 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Nonfiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

OK for the I spy beginner.... 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good starter I spy book for the younger spier in your house. I would say 3 or 4 would be the oldest.

A favorite 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My son is always picking this book these days. He loves to find everything and does pretty well at 2 1/2.

My Toddler Enjoys This Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My 2 year old daughter enjoys this book. She often ask for her I-spy book(s) again and again and sits and looks through the book by herself. It keeps her occupied and sitting still for several minutes and that says alot.

Great for even 15 mos! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My 15 month old daughter loves all the I spy little books. I didn't think she would be ready for them, but after receiving this one as a gift, we've gone out and bought more. Although she loves to read, we find she seems to be more patient when we read this book and sits in our lap trying to spy for 20 minutes at a time (since we reread it).

Wow! another hit for my sons 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We stumbled on the Eye Spy books purely by accident, but what a find! While we only have a couple of them, we get them from the library all the time and I can't say enough good things. My older son (almost 4) is into counting all the things he finds and finding things that rhyme. My younger son (19 months) will look at it with me, his brother, his father, and do the signs for the objects he knows. He has also learned more signs from these books as we "read" and sign the book with him. These books are terrific!

Editorial Review:

Rhyming verses ask readers to find hidden objects and toy animals in the photographs.

The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Super Challenge Book 5 (Greatest Dot to Dot! Super Challenge!)

David Kalvitis

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Monkeying Around Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $3.87

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Sports & Activities -> Activity Books -> Dot to Dot
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Sports & Activities -> Games -> Puzzles
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Puzzles & Games -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Approved 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I got this book for my mom. She was looking for dot-to-dots and recalled how she liked doing them as a child. I couldn't find any in the store. I saw one of the reviews on here that said something about it being a good thing to take your mind off of adult things. Anyways, the print looked small to me, so I was a little worried... BUT... my mom thought it was great. She really likes the book. I'll probably end up getting more from the series.

The Ultimate Dot to Dot Book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I had always been looking for a dot to dot book with hundreds of numbers and this is the best! If you like a challenge and enjoy doing dot to dot pictures, this is definitely for you (There is one picture that has 1300+ numbers - it reminded me of building a large puzzle, working on section by section). This is definitely fun for the adult!

Editorial Review:

GENERAL FEATURES: The Greatest Dot to Dot Super Challenge Book 5 by Monkeying Around has 48 pages will many variations for surprises that will entertain young and old alike! Advanced puzzles by David Kalvitis will bring to life animals, vehicles, people, buildings insects and more! Hours of fun for everyone and a great idea for vacations, traveling, gifts or people who like surprises! Intended for anyone old enough to count and connect the dots! Books 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all different but equally fun!

The Everything Kids' Mazes Book: Twist, Squirm, and Wind Your Way Through Subways, Museums, Monster Lairs, and Tombs (Everything Kids Series)

Beth L. Blair

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Adams Media Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Sports & Activities -> Activity Books -> Mazes

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A bit advanced for little kids 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

My son LOVES mazes and is very good at them. This box has a mix of difficulty levels, but several of them are quite hard. Those, of course, are the ones my 6-year-old wanted to do first. I would recommend this book to older children (at least finished first grade). I wish the publisher would have put age recommendations. I managed to put the book up and will get it out again next year. More color would have helped make the book agreeable for more ages as well, not only making it more attractive, but making following the maze passages easier.

Editorial Review:

Kids* - of all ages - just love mazes, so make sure there's a sharpened pencil about! Over 100 intricate mazes will test the skill and resolve of any player: * Can you get Shackteton through the Iceberg-Iaden Antarctica maze to safely? * Can you pull a thread from one corner to another in an Inca Key textile design? * Can your spot of colour find its way around a kaleidoscopic maze? * Beth Blair says this one is really for 8-10 year olds! * Our opinion: "Lots of original ideas make this a really innovative maze book."

I Spy Spooky Night (I Spy)

Jean Marzollo

Amazon Price: $10.97 List Price: $13.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cartwheel Amazon Marketplace: 129 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I Spy A Winner! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

The I Spy Spooky Night book is one of many 'I Spy' books our family has enjoyed. We have the 'I Spy Extreme Challenger!',
'I Spy Super Challenger', 'I Spy School Days', 'I Spy Treasure Hunt' and the 'I Spy Mystery' book just to name a few of them. They will entertain no matter what your age. Our children and now our grandchildren have pulled these books out many times. They are like magnets and will draw in whoever is around to your side to help find the hidden I Spy items. Here's a hint. If, no - when, you have trouble finding any of the objects turn the book upside down and that just might help. The I Spy Spooky Night Book in combination with the Boo-opoly Game will provide some frighteningly good Halloween entertainment. ~ Mrs. B.

Editorial Review:

From its rickety gate to its cobwebbed attic, this haunted house contains 13 spooky environments. Readers will marvel at Walter Wick's beautifully executed photographs as they travel through each enchanting scene and solve the rhyming riddles, reading the story along the way. Over two million "I Spy" books have been sold to date.

Made You Look: A Book of Picture Puzzles

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Klutz Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $9.96

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Put this in a travel bag for the kids 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.

We're going to New Orleans as soon as school is out. We're taking my three pretend children, ages 3 3/4, 9, and 10. The baby stays home. The grandparents, my brother and his wife, and I are the adults (usually). Two of the three children are certified ADHD. That means they need things to do. When I take them on adventures, we sing and yell and carry on, but that kind of stuff drives the grandparents crazy. I found this book, "Made You Look: A Book of Picture Puzzles" and started a road trip bag. It is the first item to go in.

First, the book is over-sized, I think, to make each page and picture larger and items easier to find. Being in a spiral book makes the pages easy to turn backwards and the book easier to handle. Several pages have detachable items. In the very back is a large envelope in which to store these items. Very clever!

If you are familiar with the I Spy series, then you have a vague idea of this book's premise. Starting with simpler puzzles and working toward complexity, the book will keep little eyes spell-bound for a good while.

Here are some sample puzzles. On the copyright page and adjoining page is a scene of a cross of streets in a city block. The trick is to find how many times the title of the book can be found on these two pages. Bunches! The actual first puzzle invites the reader to find the numbers 1-100 in this mish-mash of kooky monsters, fantasy figures, and odds and ends.

Here's another one. It is a knick-knack container crammed full of objects in every cubby hole. Included is a list of items the viewer must find. Now a page with people wearing a multitude of facial disguises inside frames. You must find how many of the faces belong to this one particular man. Facial recognition tricks are the rule here.

Toward the back is a double page spread requiring the viewer to match a person standing in the art gallery with their counterparts in famous paintings. Not only does this activity require close attention to detail but will train them to recognize these famous paintings and composition of the way the subjects are posed.

One last description. This time it's a two-page spread of postcards from particular states and cities. This one is tough if you haven't seen these places. Within the letters of Maine for example are the Eiffel Tower, a big lobster, a British flag, a water skiier, palm trees, an alligator in a swamp. If you turn the page, you will begin all the answers and solutions.

What's next in the travel bag? Crayons and coloring books, pads and pens to write things and draw. Keep reading my reviews as I show you more items to add to your travel bag for the children this summer.

Editorial Review:

Forty-one artists and illustrators were commissioned to create this amazing eye-catching compendium of picture puzzles. Hidden pictures, matching games, pictures puns and what's-wrong searches are just a few of the visual amusements. Each is loaded with intricate imaginative detail and intriguing challenges that will keep you looking a second, third and fourth.....time!

I Spy Fantasy (I Spy)

Jean Marzollo

Amazon Price: $10.97 List Price: $13.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cartwheel Amazon Marketplace: 143 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I Spy is great fun! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We purchased this for our 10 yr. old niece and she absolutely loves it! She spends hours at a time with it and the whole family gets in on it!! It's great fun!!

I Spy books are just the best...this one is no exception 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Another great set of photos that will make you dizzy with the busyness of it all. Difficult and challenging as usual. It's what makes these books so unique and great. Love them all. Glad to add Fantasy to our collection.

Great fun a time filler 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We have 4 of the I Spy books and this is one of the best. The kids read them over and over again.

one of the five I spy books I ordered 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I was very pleased to have all 5 books come together. We have enjoyed searching each book to find our I SPY.

Loved by Grandson 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book for my 6 year old Grandson and he immediately loved it as did all the children at his party. In fact even the adults had a good time looking for hidden objects. Good for all ages.

Editorial Review:

A new addition to a popular hide-and-seek series features fourteen fantasy environments including an underwater scene, a twinkling night sky, and an elaborate city of blocks, accompanied by challenging riddles.

I Spy Extreme Challenger! A Book of Picture Riddles

Jean Marzollo

Amazon Price: $10.97 List Price: $13.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cartwheel Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $2.23

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

After mastering the many I Spy books and then moving on to conquer the tougher-riddled I Spy Gold Challenger, kids begged Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick for an even greater challenge. Naturally, this creative team rose to the occasion, creating the ultimate: Extreme Challenger! Open to any page and find a mind-boggling array of things: "a lobster, a pig, a guitar, / Two skulls, a button, a spring, a car." Wick's exceptional photographic skill renders every object crystal clear, whether on a blank white background or against a backdrop of dusty old bookshelves with antique toys, keys, clocks, and tools. Marzollo's rhymes are straightforward yet clever, matching "an ace" with "a missing bottle's space," and "puffball shoes" with "sad blue ooze." Children will have so much fun "I spying," they won't even realize they're developing their visual discrimination ability, as well as their reading and vocabulary skills! Extra credit riddles at the end of the big, colorful book provide an additional test of readers' nimbleness, and the authors also encourage children to write their own rhyming picture riddles based on the illustrations in the book. Okay, all you eagle-eyes out there, have at it! (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter