Eye Spy

by Ruth Brown

"I spy with my little eye,

Something beginning with M.

It curls its tail around the stalk

and eats the wheat at Harvest.

It rhymes with house . . ."



Come on a playful journey through the day from dawn to dusk, set in a gorgeous countryside landscape. The reader must solve a riddle to guess which animal is hiding, and then search for it in the beautifully detailed illustrations.



This version of the favorite childhood game uses a text with rhyme and will provide hours of entertainment. The page turn confirms the answers, and there is a satisfying bedtime ending.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

Born in 1941, Ruth Brown is the creator of some of Britain's best loved children's books. She has created a great many picture books for Andersen Press and is highly respected as an author and illustrator.
She attended Bournemouth College of Art, 1957–59; Birmingham College of Art, degree (with first-class honors), 1961; Royal College of Art, M.A., 1964.
She is married to artist Ken Brown and they have two grown-up sons and one grandchild.

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

On each page, the reader must search in the artwork to find a hidden animal. It might be a snail, a fox, or a hare. A toad hides in the reeds by the stream. An owl hides in the branches of a tree. A mouse climbs the wheat stalks. A snake rustles in the grass. A ladybug nestles among the mushrooms. Can you find them all?

I like the way the text gives you a clue for each animal. It's name begins with a certain letter of the alphabet, and it rhymes with some other word. Even little children will be able to guess these animals!

The artwork is really beautiful and detailed. The plants and trees are delicate and colorful, and somewhere among them, blending in with the background, there is an hidden animal.

The problem is that the artwork is almost TOO good! I couldn't find the mouse at all! And the bumblebee is almost totally hidden. Some of these were actually too difficult to find for an adult, so I wonder if kids would just get frustrated. However, the next page shows you where the animal was hidden all along, so you can always go back and find them once you know the answer.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Zoe Guettler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are gorgeous!

[Guylou (Two Dogs and a Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Brown invites young readers on an enchanting journey through the day in her delightful children's book, EYE SPY. The narrative unfolds as a playful riddle-and-look adventure set against the stunning backdrop of the countryside. Each page presents a clue, prompting readers to hunt for the concealed animal within the intricately detailed illustrations. The joy of discovery accompanies each page turn, revealing not only the answers but also the next clue, adding a delightful puzzle element to the narrative. Brown's book serves as a captivating exploration of nature's art of camouflage, encouraging children to observe the world around them with fresh eyes and sparking the desire to play EYE SPY in reality. This beautifully crafted book offers a rich visual experience, promoting both shared and individual exploration while culminating in a satisfying bedtime ending. EYE SPY is a charming introduction to the wonders of hidden nature. My grandson will love this beautifully illustrated children's book.

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[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spy with my little eye has always been a fun game growing up and it makes road trips a lot less boring. In this book, the author takes this classic game and incorporates it into illustrations. The reader has to find an animal within a picture. The lyrical writing gives us hints to help figure out what animal we're looking for. Some of them are hidden very well and the answer to the location can be found on the next page. I love how it starts with the sun and ends with the moon which can make it an engaging bedtime story. The illustrations are stunning with the line-work and details. I love how the animals blend into the picture so naturally which makes some more difficult to find. It's almost like the animals are using camouflage to hide. I also like that the reader has to figure out what they're looking for instead of just giving us the answer.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to children aged four and up who enjoy animals and activity books. The artwork may even inspires young artists.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Brown takes her young readers for a walk through the countryside across a day with this delightful simple riddle-and-look book. Each double-page spread provides the clue to guide the search of the accompanying image; turn the page and the answer is there along with the next clue, and puzzle. The reader is encouraged to really scrutinise the pictures. In so doing they will learn how brilliantly animals are able to camouflage themselves – and, maybe, be inspired to explore the world around them with new eyes; to play eye spy for real.

A book that could be shared – parent and child, teacher and group – or just provide the opportunity for personal exploration. The rich visual experience that encourages the viewer to not just look for the hidden but to be aware of the surroundings combines with a simple direct text describing the hidden animal ending with a rhyme. Well produced too and a delightful introduction to hidden nature.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations! So realistic and nature-focused, a lovely breath of fresh air if you need a change from the cartoony Where's Waldo variety seek-and-find picture books. Some of the images took some hunting, even for me as an adult (though I have no complaints about spending extra time poring over the illustrations!) so this might be best for slightly older children or to have an adult help the littler ones in case they become frustrated. My eight-year-old loved it.
My favorite illustration was the mouse. Here is the accompanying poem, so you have a sense of the text:
"I spy with my little eye,
Something beginning with
M
It curls its tail around the stalk
and eats the wheat at Harvest
It rhymes with house..."

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although my family never played the "I Spy" game and I only learned about it as an adult, it is a great way to encourage observation and listening skills since the players need to pay attention to clues as well as looking at the world around them. This lovely picture book takes the game to an artistic level with sumptuous artwork on the right-hand page that offers visual clues to accompany the textual clues on the left-hand page. The fact that the answer is provided on the following page and rhymes with the bold-faced word in the clues helps youngsters make a good guess as they solve 11 different riddles.

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved eye-spy books and this is a lovely take, using nature-based illustrations and rhyming text to give children clues. This is a great picture book to engage preschoolers because the narrative is beautiful and uses the alphabet to give clues (e.g. "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with M..."). Each illustration has one item to look for and when you flip the page it gives the answer. It's great for the littlest readers!

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher Spotlight. Opinions are my own.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Brown's gorgeous paintings are very realistic. It is not difficult for an adult to figure out the riddle-rhyme, but I could not find any of the cleverly hidden animals in the illustrations, until I turned the page for the answer, and used that to find the animal on the first page. I don't know if it will be too difficult for children to find the hidden animals.

[R.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the difficulty of each challenge varies widely (that first one threw me), every image is a treasure. Vibrant colors, delightful puzzles, and beautiful details make this one a pleasure for anyone of any age who loves the natural world.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very pretty.

[Rose Goodfellow · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple riddle-and-look book.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely seek and find book with hidden animals and a bedtime message.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun take on a well-known game!

[Emily Thirion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, honestly might be challenging for little ones.

[Ellie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book which links to the of ‘eye spy.’

Good guessing book to share with children with really pretty, detailed illustrations!

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has gorgeous illustrations for eleven things the reader can find using clues in the text. Example: "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with M. It curls its tail around the stalk and eats the wheat at Harvest. It rhymes with house ... [turn the page] It's a MOUSE!"