OK, raise your hands: How many of you grew up with books mere inches away from your face, straining your eyes to find Waldo, his girlfriend Wanda, Whitebeard the Wizard and that freakin' scroll that was always hidden behind someone's shoe?

Count of hands, oh, that's everybody? I thought so.

I'm a few days late in wishing our pal Waldo a happy 21st birthday (he turned 21 on Sept. 21), but not to worry. According to his Web site, www.findwaldo.com, the celebration will last for quite a while.

While you're on the site, be sure to play the Where's Waldo game, download some Waldo graphics and take a look at where Waldo's been spotted in real life (life New York Fashion Week). You can even add Waldo as your friend on MySpace and Facebook.

If that's not enough Waldo for you, you can buy the "Where's Waldo? The Ultimate Travel Collection" book, a 152-page compilation from all five Waldo books. I'll be picking mine up tonight (yes, I know, I'm 25, but come on, this will make a great coffee table book!).