cover image I Spy Spectacular: A Book of Picture Riddles

I Spy Spectacular: A Book of Picture Riddles

Jean Marzollo, photos by Walter Wick, Scholastic/Cartwheel, $13.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-545-22278-5

Celebrating the series' 20th anniversary, this collection pulls together scenes from previous I Spy books. In a typically detail-rich scene, photographed from Wick's meticulously crafted sets, flowers and potted plants are illuminated through a rain-washed window ("I spy a shovel, a bottle, a bee,/ A nail, a donkey, a wooden tee"). In a seaside town, a train ornamented with a golden seahorse arrives at the station, people ride past on motorbikes, and a sign advertises a "Lighthouse Benefit Concert." A fine look back at a beloved series; endnotes offer additional background about the collaborators. All ages. (Apr.)