I Spy is an American children's book series, first published in the 1990s, with text written by Jean Marzollo, and photographs by Walter Wick, from Scholastic Press. Each page contains a photo with objects in it, and the riddles (written in dactylic tetrameter rhyme) accompanying the photo state which objects have to be found. I Spy merchandise has been sold in at least 31 countries worldwide. Although the first I Spy book contains unrelated pages of still life pictures, subsequent books are more thematic.
Several video games based on the I Spy books are available for Windows PC, Nintendo DS, Wii, iOS, Leapster, Leapster Explorer, LeapPad Explorer, and Game Boy Advance, including I Spy Spooky Mansion, I Spy Treasure Hunt, and I Spy Fantasy. These served as early examples of an increasingly popular hidden object game genre.
Wick stated in a 1997 news article, "My career can really be put into two categories: before I Spy and after I Spy. ... The success of the books has been really nice. I never got that lucky break in my commercial career, but all of that hard work ... was usable for I Spy."
Authors Jean Marzollo was the award-winning author of over 100 books, including Help Me Learn Numbers 0-20, Help Me Learn Addition, Help Me Learn Subtraction, Pierre the Penguin, Soccer Sam, Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, The Little Plant Doctor, In 1776, Mama Mama/Papa Papa, and I Am Water, as well as books for parents and teachers such as The New Kindergarten.
Walter Wick is the author and photographer of the best-selling series Can You See What I See?.
Carol Devine Carson, the book designer for the first I Spy books, is an artist who has designed covers for books by John Updike, Joan Didion, Alice Munro, Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II.
List of books Multiple sub-series of the I Spy books have been released.
I Spy Book title Release date I Spy Spring 1992 I Spy Christmas Fall 1992 I Spy Fun House Spring 1993 I Spy Mystery Fall 1993 I Spy Fantasy Fall 1994 I Spy School Days Fall 1995 I Spy Spooky Night Fall 1997 I Spy Super Challenger! Fall 1997 I Spy Gold Challenger! Fall 1998 I Spy Treasure Hunt Fall 1999 I Spy Extreme Challenger! Fall 2000 I Spy Year-Round Challenger! Fall 2001 I Spy Ultimate Challenger Spring 2003 I Spy A to Z Fall 2009 I Spy Spectacular Spring 2011 I Spy Love Fall 2024 I Spy Imagine Fall 2026
I Spy readers Book title Release date I Spy Funny Teeth Spring 2003 I Spy a Dinosaur's Eye Spring 2003 I Spy a School Bus Fall 2003 I Spy a Candy Cane Fall 2004 I Spy Lightning in the Sky Spring 2005 I Spy a Scary Monster Spring 2005 I Spy a Penguin Fall 2005 I Spy Santa Claus Fall 2005 I Spy a Pumpkin Spring 2006 I Spy a Balloon Spring 2006 I Spy a Butterfly Spring 2007 I Spy Merry Christmas Fall 2007 I Spy I Love You Fall 2009 I Spy a Skeleton Fall 2010 I Spy an Egg in a Nest Spring 2011 I Spy an Apple Fall 2011 I Spy Thanksgiving Fall 2011 I Spy School Fall 2012
I Spy board books Book title Release date I Spy Little Book Fall 1997 I Spy Little Animals Spring 1998 I Spy Little Wheels Fall 1998 I Spy Little Numbers Spring 1999 I Spy Little Christmas Fall 1999 I Spy Little Letters Spring 2000 I Spy Little Bunnies Spring 2001 I Spy Little Hearts Spring 2009 I Spy Little Toys Fall 2011
I Spy 8 x 8 Book title Release date I Spy a Funny Frog Spring 2012 I Spy Animals Spring 2012 I Spy Letters Spring 2012 I Spy Numbers Spring 2012
I Spy miscellaneous Book title Release date I Spy Phonics Fun Fall 2007 I Spy Sticker Book Spring 2012
See also I Spy Spooky Mansion (1999) Ultimate I Spy (2008)
References
External links
Jean Marzollo Website I Spy Page Walter Wick Website I SPY Page Scholastic I SPY Page