Book Review ~ HAVE YOU SEEN AXEL? written by Adam Jay Epstein & illustrated by Ruth Chan

Have You Seen Axel? (Have You Seen Gordon, #2)
Written by: Adam Jay Epstein
Illustrated by: Ruth Chan
Series: Have You Seen Gordon
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Release Date: October 20, 2026
Publisher: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers

Packed with funny animals and wildly detailed scenes, this laugh-out-loud picture book companion to Have You Seen Gordon? cleverly riffs on classic seek-and-find books with a main character who’s a little too good at hiding.

Have you seen Axel the axolotl? Is she taking a dive? Is she performing live? Where the heck is she? Wow, she’s pretty good at this game…

Axel the axolotl takes her turn in the spotlight only to prove so good at hiding, she’s impossible to find! The narrator of this hilarious seek-and-find story coaches her on how to be seek-able until Axel is done playing. Then it’s time for Axel and her friends to be the teachers and set the narrator straight about what is and isn’t okay.

This madcap, fourth wall–breaking picture book is full of humor and full, zany spreads with details kids will return to again and again.

Have You Seen Axel?, written by Adam Jay Epstein and illustrated by Ruth Chan, was even better than I expected. Upon opening it, I realized it’s a Where’s Waldo?–style search-and-find book, but filled with animals.

I loved how it gives the reader a voice, making it feel as if you’re speaking directly to the characters.

Have You Seen Axel? is the second installment in the Have You Seen Gordon? series. This time around, Axel the Axolotl wants to be the star of the story. However, she goes from being too good at hiding to not wanting to play anymore. At its heart, the book teaches that when someone says they don’t want to do something, their decision should be respected and that it’s okay to change your mind.

Filled with colorful, playful, and detailed illustrations, Have You Seen Axel? is a truly entertaining read for readers ages 4 to 99.

**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it.**

Rating: 5

Purchase Have You Seen Axel? from:

Amazon | Hardcover | BAM | Barnes & Noble | Google Books | iBooks | Kobo | Target | Goodreads

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The Have You Seen Gordon Series:

Have You Seen Gordon? (Book 1)

Have You Seen Axel? (Book 2)

Adam Jay Epstein spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, when he wasn’t held captive aboard his father’s sailboat. He spent many days sitting in the neighborhood park, travelling to fantasy lands in his head (occasionally when he was supposed to be doing his homework). In college, he circled the world on a ship and studied film at Wesleyan University. He is the author of the middle grade series Snared and picture books Have You Seen Gordon? and Have You Seen Axel?. Adam is also the coauthor of the Starbounders and the internationally bestselling The Familiars middle grade series. He has written film and television projects for Disney, Sony, Fox, MGM, Paramount, MTV, Hulu, Syfy, and Disney Channel. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two daughters, and dog, Pixel.

Photo by: Elizabeth Yarwood

Places to find Adam Jay Epstein:

Website | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Ruth Chan is an award-winning author and illustrator including her graphic memoir Uprooted, which earned a Boston-Globe Horn Book Honor. Prior to illustrating full time, she spent her teens in China and a decade working with youth and families in underserved communities. She is a proud Canadian who now lives by the beach in NYC with her husband, daughter, and dog, Leroy.

Places to find Ruth Chan:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page