How to Find a Yeti - by Matt Hunt (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Yetis aren't real . . . or are they? Get an epic game of hide and seek in bestselling author Matt Hunt's latest picture book.

Some people don't believe in yetis, but this little boy does - in fact, he's a yeti expert, and today he's going out into the forest to find one and prove it. He searches over here and over there, up high and down low, but there is just no yeti to be found. Not today, and probably not EVER. Or is there . . . ? Readers of all ages can join in the hunt for the elusive yeti. Can you find one?

A Junior Library Guild 2026 selection!

Review Quotes

"Readers will get a kick out of spotting many pertinent details in Hunt's textured-collage digital illustrations... A crowd-pleasing comedy of missed encounters for storytime."--Linda Ludke, Booklist

A self-proclaimed yeti expert, a little boy sets off on a yeti hunt in the forest behind his house, assured that he will find the cryptid and become famous. He packs a bag, puts on his boots, hat, and pear-green scarf, and gets his dog Milo ready to come with. As the boy and his dog search "here and there," "left and right," "high and low," a snow-colored creature blends into the background of the dense forest, with only the reader, and eventually, puppy Milo, aware of its horns and bright yellow eyes peeking behind a stack of logs and its giant yeti toes acting as a seat for the little boy. Exhausted and dispirited, the boy claims that there's "absolutely no yeti in this forest" and returns to his home, wondering if he even believes in yetis anymore. He soon realizes he's forgotten his scarf in the woods but decides he'll look for it tomorrow, heading to bed, and as he sleeps, the kind yeti emerges from the forest and leaves the scarf folded on the boy's doorstep. Hunt's short and simple story creates oodles of opportunity for a little one to search and find the silent yeti hiding in plain sight. The multi-textured illustrations make for the perfect scenic background for a yeti to blend into, with the trees collaged in a kelp forest color palette and the yeti painted and drawn in a powdery blue gray and pure white hues. This versatile tale can make for a curiously cozy lap-sit or could be paired with similar titles, such as The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish (BCCB 5/23) for a wintery themed, hide-and-seek adventure during story time. GR--Center for Children's Books

A self-described young "yeti expert" and his dog Milo embark on an expedition in search of the mystical forest-dweller in this visually playful story. Crisp first-person narration credibly establishes the child speaker's readiness for the quest: "I have borrowed all 27 yeti books from the library. I have a pair of yeti slippers (not made from real yeti)." When the child and pup arrive at the forest, the youth continually concludes "no yeti yet," but Milo has a much different experience. Hunt's modernistic artwork uses geometric cut-paper-like effects for the forest and soft edging for the creature, hiding in plain sight, which dramatically reveals itself to the reader via an orientation change even as the human protagonist despairs about the outing's failure. Wintry scenes get pops of color from the child's bright red hat and lime green scarf, the latter of which eventually plays a critical role in conveying the idea that everything can be found "somewhere." Ages 4-8. (Nov.)--Publisher's Weekly

Now Matt Hunt is the fellow who illustrated the rather charming How to Count to One. In this book we follow a self-proclaimed yeti expert (readers can determine for themselves whether or not he should rightfully be deemed so). Kids hearing this may get the joke before the hunter does (in every spread there is a yeti hidden somewhere, but the kid can't see it). Happily, the book contains lots of useful info on how best to find a yeti. Consider this a fun readaloud for large groups. Particularly those that enjoy yelling at the obtuse narrators.--Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production

"Hunt's short and simple story creates oodles of opportunity for a little one to search and find the silent yeti hiding in plain sight. The multi-textured illustrations make for the perfect scenic background for a yeti to blend into. . . This versatile tale can make for a curiously cozy lap-sit or. . . a wintery themed, hide-and-seek adventure during story time."

--Center for Children's Books

"Wintry scenes get pops of color from the child's bright red hat and lime green scarf, the latter of which eventually plays a critical role in conveying the idea that everything can be found 'somewhere.'"--Publisher's Weekly

"Consider this a fun readaloud for large groups. Particularly those that enjoy yelling at the obtuse narrators."--Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production

About the Author

Matt Hunt was born in Redditch in Worcestershire, England, in 1988. Starting out as a fine artist, he graduated from the Birmingham School of Art, and from these roots, developed a love for children's illustration. Matt works in mixed media, utilizing paint, pens, crayons, and digital methods. He's influenced by old movies, classic illustration, cartoons, and books. He lives with his wife Hayley and two cats.