Where’s Waldo wanders back into town

Lisha Van Nieuwenhove

 The boy with the round glasses and striped shirt is returning to Uxbridge!

 Blue Heron Books is bringing the intrepid world traveller back to Uxbridge for a fun game of hide-and-seek. Blue Heron Books owner Shelley MacBeth has already sent Waldo out to several downtown businesses (along Brock St. and some businesses just off of Brock…the Cosmos office may or may not have a Waldo hanging out at it…) and children are encouraged to pick up a passport from Blue Heron Books, or at any participating merchant. They can track their progress as they move from business to business. Once they locate Waldo, they’ll get a stamp or a mark in their passport. Once they have been to 10 stores and located the elusive fellow, they can visit Blue Heron Books for a cool reward. Twenty or more businesses? More cool stuff! They will also become eligible for the grand-prize draw. 

  The Waldo fun begins July 2 and lasts the entire month. Blue Heron Books will be hosting a celebratory party once the campaign is complete at the end of the month (date to be announced. 

  “We strongly encourage all who attend to come dressed as Waldo or Wenda,” says MacBeth,  “and be prepared for some fun and games!”

  Martin Handford’s collections of Waldo crowd scenes took the world by storm in the late 1980s, and since then the books have held a cherished place on bookstore shelves. More than 80 million Waldo books have been sold worldwide, and they’ve been translated into more than 30 languages.

In celebration of Waldo’s longevity and popularity, Candlewick Press is teaming up with hundreds of independent bookstores across North America for some hide-and-seek, designed to encourage residents to patronize their local businesses.