I Spy Love, by Dan Marzollo & Dave Marzollo/Illustrated by Walter Wick, (Nov. 2024, Scholastic), $14.99, ISBN: 9781546119784
Ages 4-8
I have the warmest of warm fuzzies when it comes to I Spy books. I have the best memories of my son, now 21, sitting with me in our living room, poring over copies of I Spy (we had SO MANY), time and again, excited to find all the items each time. Did you know there was an I Spy TV show for kids? We watched every episode; I can still hear the song in my head now. And the kids here at my library never get tired of I Spy books: the holidays, the everydays, they love them all. I Spy is pretty timeless, with a sense of play that also helps kids sharpen their sleuthing skills.
Enter the newest I Spy book, I Spy Love, which is also the first I Spy book to have new photos in 25 years! All new collections and all new rhymes for readers, wrapped in a Valentine’s Day theme! Spreads are colorful, bursting with interesting things to find, and the rhyming challenges give readers some things to ponder, like the challenge that invites readers to “…Spy Cupid, a little road sign, Antlers, a pencil, BE MY VALENTINE; Bright yellow socks, a top hat that’s blue, The king of hearts, and eye heart u”, set across a spread of handmade Valentines and a Valentine’s Day mailbox that students could imagine in their classrooms. Additional challenges at the book’s close will have readers going back and exploring spreads for even more riddles. The book feels so wonderful and happy, kids will return to these spreads again and again. An excellent purchase for collections where seek-and-find books are popular. Print out free activity sheets on the Scholastic webpage!
Mom Read It 