Iconic Children’s Book Character Continues to Create Summertime Fun to Support the Shop Local Movement
Where’s Waldo? In Oxford, of course! The iconic children’s book character in the red-and-white-striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is visiting twenty-five local businesses on The Square in July.
Find Waldo Local is a great summer vacation activity and a wonderful way to support local businesses and the Shop Local movement in our community, including Gingersnaps, Cat Daddy’s, Amy Head Cosmetics, S & J Art Gallery & Collectibles, and many others.
Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a “Find Waldo Local in Oxford!” passport, which contains the names of all the participating sites, and get their passport stamped or signed for each Waldo they
spot. Collecting store stamps or signatures at twenty or more businesses will 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.
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. 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.
Once again, for the eighth year, in celebration of Waldo’s longevity and popularity, his American publisher, Candlewick Press, is teaming up with the American Booksellers Association and two hundred and fifty independent bookstores across the country for some hide-and-seek fun to encourage communities to patronize their local businesses. There is no charge to participate, and the hunt lasts for the entire month of July. For more information about hunting for Waldo in Oxford, call Square Books, Jr. at (662)236-2207.
