Where's Waldo? He Could be Hiding in a Store Near You

Who is bespectacled, outfitted in red and white stripes and hiding in plain sight in a store near you?

Local businesses in nearly 250 communities across the United States are taking part in a month-long scavenger hunt to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the "Where's Waldo?" children's book series, hiding the beloved character among shelves and store displays this month.

To get started, hunters can grab a search list at a participating bookstore in their town and start collecting the "I Found Waldo at ______" cards once they locate him. The more cards lucky Waldo-spotters collect, the more prizes they can win.

To ramp up excitement, one Pennsylvania store has even started dropping hints on its Twitter account for curious patrons wanting updates of his whereabouts.

Launched by the books' latest publisher, Candlewick Press, and the American Booksellers Association, participating independent bookstores had to agree to work with 20 local enterprises to be eligible to partake in the chase.

The promotion is meant to encourage shoppers to frequent local enterprises in order to offset slowed summertime store traffic.