Behind the Pages with Liz Ball

Behind the Pages with Liz Ball Hidden Treasures and a Life in Puzzles

If you’ve ever paused over a hidden picture puzzle—searching out a sneaky banana tucked into the curls of a frog’s tail or a button disguised as a bird’s eye—there’s a good chance you’ve seen the work of Liz Ball.

Liz is the creator of the long-running and much-loved Hidden Treasures puzzle book series, a collection of books filled with hand-drawn, family-friendly hidden picture illustrations. These aren’t computer-generated mazes or generic puzzles—they’re full-page, black-and-white scenes packed with frogs, mice, birds, children, animals, and natural settings, with dozens of cleverly concealed objects tucked into every sketch. The drawings are both relaxing and challenging, and appeal to all ages. Her puzzles are often used by teachers, occupational therapists, and even physicians to help develop focus, memory, spatial reasoning, and visual tracking.

Liz’s puzzles have been published in over 150 newspapers and magazines—from Highlights and Hopscotch to regional dailies like the Dayton Daily News, where her puzzles have appeared twice a week since 1996. Her tally is well over 3,000 published puzzles, and counting.

But her journey into illustration didn’t start in an art classroom. In fact, Liz originally trained as a Tool and Die Engineer, working in the world of mechanical design. The pivot came in 1991, when she left that career to pursue a childhood dream: to make books for kids. She turned to her freehand drawing skills—something she had long practiced on the side—and built a full-time creative business from the ground up.

She now works out of a vine-covered studio cottage in Tipp City, Ohio, where a large dog and one very fluffy cat serve as her daily coworkers. When she’s not drawing, she’s out in the garden tending lily ponds—or sketching the frogs who move in.

Liz’s booklist spans over a dozen original titles, including:

• Hidden Treasures
• ABC–What Job Do You See?
• Holiday Hidden Treasures
• FROG FUN
• Transportation Fun
• 50 States of Fun
• Hidden Pictures at the Zoo (Fox Chapel Publishing)

She has also illustrated faith-based puzzle books with Pauline Books & Media and Warner Press, including Bible Stories, Miracles & Parables of Jesus, and The Bible in Hidden Pictures. In addition to her own titles, Liz has collaborated with authors like Jeff Nathan and Donna Shepherd on whimsical children’s books and poetry.

Beyond publishing, Liz creates custom corporate puzzles, greeting cards, and jigsaw puzzles, and she frequently visits schools and libraries to speak about creativity and the process behind her art. A longtime member of SCBWI, Liz encourages aspiring authors and illustrators to stick with it:

“Success usually doesn’t come immediately. Hang in there and keep trying.”

For Liz, the Buckeye Book Fair is a welcome opportunity to connect—not just with fellow illustrators, but with the people who love her puzzles. “I always enjoy talking with fans—new and old—and seeing how they interact with the work. That kind of feedback is something you just don’t get through email.”

Meet Liz Ball in person at the Buckeye Book Fair on Saturday, November 1st. She’ll be bringing books, puzzles, and maybe a few frogs. Just don’t be surprised if you spend the rest of your afternoon trying to find a toothbrush hidden inside a tree branch.