Hidden Wonders of the World
Hidden Wonders of the World
Hidden Wonders of the World
SEEK-AND-FIND PUZZLES
FEATURING ICONIC LOCATIONS
ARTWORK BY BLAKE GORE
Copyright © 2026 by Blake Gore
Published by Blue Star Press PO Box 8835, Bend, OR 97708 contact@bluestarpress.com www.bluestarpress.com
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Written and illustrated by Blake Gore
Design by Bryce de Flamand
Illustration reference photos: ©Alexander Ozerov@stock.adobe.com (pg 10), ©htrnr@stock.adobe.com (pg 12), ©SeanPavonePhoto@stock.adobe.com (pg 14), ©adisa@stock.adobe.com (pg 16), ©Dmitry Rukhlenko@stock.adobe.com (pg 18), ©Simon Dannhauer@stock.adobe.com (pg 20), ©Maridav@ stock.adobe.com (pg 22), ©TTstudio@stock.adobe.com (pg 24), ©lukbar@stock.adobe.com (pg 26), ©Jenifoto@stock.adobe.com (pg 2 8), ©JackF@stock.adobe.com (pg 30 ), ©PTZ Pictures@stock.adobe. com (pg 32), ©Martin M303@stock.adobe.com (pg 34), ©Boris Stroujko@stock.adobe.com (pg 36), ©g215@stock.adobe.com (pg 38), ©superjoseph@stock.adobe.com (pg 40), ©PACO COMO@stock. adobe.com (pg 42), © Luca Pierro/Stocksy@stock.adobe.com (pg 44), © Sean Hs@stock.adobe.com (pg 46 ), ©Mohamed@stock.adobe.com (pg 48)
Printed in China
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN: 9781963183894
To my wife, Lori, who sees beauty in the small things.
Introduction …viii
ITALY | Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore ...1
NORTHERN IRELAND | Giant’s Causeway ...3
JAPAN | Shibuya Crossing ...5
FRANCE | Eiffel Tower ...7
PORTUGAL | The Bica Funicular ...9
COSTA RICA | Monteverde Hanging Bridge ...11
ECUADOR | Galápagos Islands ...13
UNITED STATES | Midtown Manhattan, New York City ...15
GREECE | Blue Domes of Oia ...17
THE NETHERLANDS | Amsterdam Canals ...19
ENGLAND | Stonehenge ...23
CANADA | Moraine Lake ...25
SWITZERLAND | Lake Lucerne ...27
GERMANY | Heidelberg Old Bridge Gate ...29
AUSTRALIA | Great Barrier Reef ...31
SOUTH AFRICA | Kruger National Park ...33
MOROCCO | Chefchaouen ...35
INDIA | Taj Mahal ...37
UNITED STATES | Wailua Falls, Hawai‘i ...39
Answer Key ...41
Further Reading ...46
About the Artist ...47
SPAIN | Alcázar of Segovia ...21
About the Art
Artist Blake Gore is known for drawing on canvases no bigger than a postage stamp, using a pen tip thinner than a sewing needle—and, as he likes to joke, thinner than his middle-aged hairline. Working by hand with a .15 mm pen, Blake builds each image from countless tiny dots and lines. With no magnifier, no eyeglasses, and no apparent regard for his own sanity, he relies purely on patience, focus, and a steady hand. Ink leaves no room for second chances, so every mark has to count. That balance of precision and personality is what makes his art so distinct.
Hidden Wonders of the World magnifies Blake’s miniatures to reveal three layers of discovery: the scene itself, the details he swears are obvious, and the microscopic items you will absolutely need a magnifying glass to find. Look closely and the objects in each setting start to tell their own stories—from a lotus flowering in India to a lantern glowing in Japan to a teacup in England just begging for gossip.
Part art book, part puzzle, part “how is this even possible?”, Hidden Wonders of the World invites you to slow down and notice the marvels hiding in plain sight.
As Blake’s wink to the especially observant, a tiny camera appears in every scene.
Working with a .15 mm pen, Blake captures every strand of fur and wrinkle of expression. Each dot is deliberate, each line irreversible. One sneeze, and your monkey suddenly has a mustache.
This Shibuya Crossing sketch includes nearly seven hundred unique figures, drawn one at a time. The process blurs patience and precision until the crowd feels alive, a study in organized chaos held together by ink and nerve.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy
Better known as the Duomo, Florence’s Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is one of the most iconic churches in the world. Construction began in 1296, but its massive red-tiled dome wasn’t completed until 1436. The dome remains the largest brick dome ever constructed and was built without scaffolding, using a technique that has been lost for centuries. The bell tower beside it was designed by the painter Giotto.
Seek and Find
Paintbrush
Chisel
Chianti wine bottle
Pizza slice
Cannoli
Roman coin
Scissors
Olive branch
“Carpe diem”
Gelato
Silhouette of Italy
Michelangelo’s David
Florence coat of arms
Leonardo da Vinci
Suit
Handbag
Vespa
Italian flag
Grapes
Tomato
Did you know? During the bubonic plague outbreaks of the 1600s, Florentines used tiny “wine windows” built into palace walls to safely sell wine while maintaining social distance. These openings let sellers pass glasses or bottles without contact—an inventive public health measure that is still visible across the city today.
More about the art
Florence Wine Windows
Pigma Micron 003, 01, 05, digitally colored
At original size: 1 9/16" x 1 5/16"