Do your kids love the I Spy books by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick? These books plus other I Spy books help children with visual discrimination and vocabulary.
In fact, I Spy books are FANTASTIC for problem-solving, visual discrimination, building vocabulary, and persistence.
Here you’ll find the best reading choices plus directions for making your own book!
Making an I Spy book is a fun art and writing activity.
Also, it’s helpful to read I Spy books before you start making your own book so you have examples that will get creative juices flowing.
The Best I Spy Books
I Spy Numbers by Jean Marzollo
Help your preschooler identify numbers with this exciting search and find book all about counting and numbers. We highly recommend it.
Around the World A Can You Find It Book by Sarah L. Schuette
Similar to other books, search in the photographs to find the hidden objects.
I Spy School Days by Jean Marzollo, photos by Walter Wick
Read the rhyming poem then look at the accompanying full-color photo filled with objects to find the items listed.
I Spy Animals by Jean Marzollo, photos by Walter Wick
Riddles and photographs help young readers search 13 interactive spreads to find animals.
>>FIND MORE SEEK AND FIND BOOKS on Imagination Soup
Make Your Own I Spy Book
To make your own I Spy books, you’ll need these materials:
- camera or camera on a phone
- items from your house that relate to a theme (colors, numbers, animals, foods, etc.)
- a computer
We choose to make I Spy pages with the theme of colors.
Directions:
- Get the objects around your theme.
- Then, arrange the objects close together on a solid background. (We used a blanket.)
- In the I Spy books by Jean Marzollo, the photographer, Walter Wick, uses light and shadows when he arranges the photos. If you want to try to add shadows, add a lamp to one side of your items.
- Close-up shots are best. Help your kids see this by asking them to take several photos.
- Next, you’ll want to download your photos onto your computer!
- Now, you can make your book.
- Insert the photos into a Word or Pages document.
- Underneath the photo, write a list of what readers need to find.
- Advanced: Take a screenshot of your Word document. Add arrows from the words to the answers to make an answer key.
- Finally, put all the pages into plastic covers and a three-ring binder.
- Read and solve your own I Spy book!
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2 Responses
I love this idea! I will try it!!
What a great idea! Renee