A Bibliophile’s Nostalgia: I Spy Series
I’m back again with my blog post series to revisit some bookish things that give me all the nostalgia feels. Today, I’ll be talking about the I Spy series.
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. Just like the name of the series, the reader flips through the book of pictures and is given riddles as clues to what the object you’re looking for. It was fun and engaging and the series explored so many themes.
I Spy merchandise has been sold in at least 31 countries worldwide and several video games based on the I Spy books were also created for it. Eventually the series spawned a stop-motion/claymation television series that aired on the HBO Family from December 14, 2002 to September 21, 2003. This series kept the spirit of the original books but added in new elements as a boy named Spyler and his dog, CeCe search for missing items in each episode.
There were plenty of other similar series growing up at this time such as Where’s Waldo, but I Spy was my favorite. I was instantly drawn to the vibrant photographs on each page. Even long after finishing a book, I would go back to look at each picture and admire it while also creating imaginative stories surrounding them. It made it even more fun, and I always looked forward to each new book in the series.
If I had to pick a favorite one growing up, it would definitely be I Spy Spooky Mansion! It’s also probably where my obsession with Halloween got started too, lol. This book takes readers through a haunted mansion that features an attic, a graveyard, and a spooky laboratory. The attention to detail in this book along with others adds to the immersive nature of these books!
Though the books are no longer published, you can still often find these gems at local used book sales or online sites as well. Thinking of these books always reminds me to never stop finding joy in the little things of life!
Have you read the books before? What books from the series were your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
