Review #32: I Spy A to Z

Dad:  Here's the package that just came in the mail!
Gracie (age 8):  It says "Bookie Woogie" on it!
Dad:  What do you think it is?
Gracie:  A book!
(opening package)
Gracie:  It's "I Spy!"
Dad:  Elijah's favorite kind of book.
Gracie:  "I Spy A to Z!"
Elijah (age 3):  Read it to us!  Read it to us!
Dad:  Right this second?
Elijah:  Yeah!
Dad:  I was only going to open the package...  Let me check with Mom to see if we have time to do this right now...
Lily (age 6):  We're reviewing this!
Isaac (age 10):  Can I see it?  I haven't gotten to hold it yet.
Dad:  We love "I Spy."  We have three of the other "I Spy" books already.  Plus we also have an "I Spy" board book.
Gracie:  And I have an "I Spy" memory game that I got for Christmas.
Dad:  But we can't assume everyone else out there knows what "I Spy" books are.  If someone's never seen one, how would you describe them?
Isaac:  People take photographs of all these things -- toys and screws and bolts -- all kinds of bits and ends and things.
Gracie:  Real toys -- a lot -- tons of different toys and shelves and boxes all over the place.
Isaac:  Then they say: "Find a ball" or "Find a cow."
Lily:  Then you find them in the pictures.
Gracie:  They're really good for younger kids.  Especially Elijah.  He loves "Finding Books."
Dad:  Yep, that's what he calls them.  "Finding Books."
Elijah:  Me.  Yeah.
Dad:  So Buddy, are you going to review it with us?
Elijah:  Yeah.  But is it a Finding Book?
Dad:  It is!
Elijah:  A BIG Finding Book!
Gracie:  The cover is so sparkly...
Elijah:  There is a "J" that has a bead on the bottom...
Dad:  Yeah - you know some of your letters already.  This is a great book for you!
Elijah:  Read it now.  Read it now.
Dad:  Why is this book called "A to Z"?
Gracie:  Because the letters go in order.
Isaac:  Like on these first pages, you find things that have A's.
Elijah:  Find them now.

(reading begins)

Isaac:  You know what they did?  They cut half of this page off.  This used to be a big page in a different "I Spy" book, and they cut it down to a little square.
Dad:  So are these all pictures from other "I Spy" books?
Isaac:  Yeah.
Dad:  But that's cool, because it makes this book huge!  Look at how many pages there are!
Isaac:  See this picture here?  That one used to be a much bigger picture in a different book.
Dad:  It's kind of like a "best of."  And even though they are reusing pictures, I bet they have you finding different things this time.

(reading continues)

Dad:  How do you think they do the pictures where it looks like all the toys are flying through the air?
Lily:  On strings maybe?
Isaac:  On the computer?  I have no clue.
Gracie:  Maybe they put everything on a trampoline.
Dad:  And then jumped on it?
Isaac:  It wouldn't come out that perfect.
Dad:  And if they did it on the computer, they'd have to add all the shadows that the objects cast on each other.
Isaac:  Well, do you have any ideas?
Dad:  I don't have any idea.
Gracie:  A glass blower trapped them in glass.
Isaac:  If the person who makes the "I Spy" books is reading this, could you tell us how you make things look like they are floating in the air?

(reading concludes)

Dad:  Did you like that book?
Elijah:  Yeah!  I like the letters that we found.
Dad:  Did you like the easy ones that you could find fast, or the tricky ones you had to hunt for?
Elijah:  Hunting!
Gracie:  I like the parts where it's super hard and everyone is looking and looking...
Lily:  This book was long and fun.
Gracie:  And there's an awesome Spanish corn dude on one page!  I want a Spanish corn dude!
Lily:  All the pictures look really cool.
Gracie:  Especially the picture with the sweet Spanish corn dude.  He was so stinkin' awesome!
Dad:  Now this "I Spy" is different from the others.  There are little pictures along with the text that show you what you are looking for.  That's a new addition.
Gracie:  It's a good thing they did that.  I like it a lot.  Now kids that can't read can enjoy this book too.
Dad:  Which is especially good since it's an Alphabet Book.  Who's more likely to need an alphabet book?  Someone who can't read yet.
Isaac:  I know.  I loved these books when I was little too, but I couldn't read.
Gracie:  I like how they make the pictures.  They just put a whole bunch of stuff together.  They find a whole bunch of toys and build a set.
Isaac:  There's a game my friends and I play.  We each get an "I Spy" book, and then we look for the hardest thing on the page.  Then you say "Look for, like, a green car."  Then the other person says, "Look for a... zebra."
Dad:  So then you switch books and say "go"?
Gracie:  Yep, and the first one to find it wins.
Dad:  That's fun!  You guys are clever!
Isaac:  What are we going to do for our pictures at the end of this review?
Dad:  Maybe you guys could all work to build a scene, and Isaac can take a picture of it.  He's good at taking pictures.  You've never done a collaboration for Bookie Woogie before.
Gracie:  What in the dickens is a "collaboration"?
Lily:  It's where everybody does something together.
Dad:  Did you know that word, Lily?  Or did you just figure it out from the context?
Long silent pause...
Dad (in mock-Lily voice):  What in the dickens is a "context?"
Laughter by all

Here's a picture hunt the kids made for you all:

And a close up detail:
I spy an Alligator, a Ballerina (who lost her bun),
the Captain of a ship, and a tiny green Dude with a gun.

I Spy A to Z
Riddles by: Jean Marzollo
Photographs: Walter Wick <– secrets revealed!
Published, June 2009: Scholastic
Like it? Find it


Now comes some more fun!  Giveaway time!!  Scholastic has provided a generous giveaway with five lucky winners!!!

Four winners will receive a copy of this new book, "I SPY A to Z:
A Book of Picture Riddles."

And one Grand Prize Winner will receive a Grand Prize Pack including:

• "I SPY A to Z: A Book of Picture Riddles"
and...
• "I SPY Treasure Hunt"
and!
• Board Game "I SPY Memory Game"
AND!
• Wii Video Game "Ultimate I SPY"

That pack is worth over $85!

So to enter, simply leave a comment on this post.  And for those of you who have been visiting Bookie Woogie for a while - or for new visitors who want to peek at the archives - you can multiply your chances: in your comment if you let us know which Bookie Woogie review has been your favorite so far, you'll get extra entry points.

(Also, be sure your comment has a way for us to contact you when it's time to pick the random winners)

Contest runs until July 4th.  Good luck!  Spread the word!