I Spy Books

“with the likes of levitating toys and plush clouds, i never pieced it together that the "photographic illustrations" of I SPY were not photoshop but rather insanely detailed physical sets made by creator of the classic, Walter Wick. pulling from Wick’s collection of 20,000+ miniatures, each set contains 100-300 objects. i really enjoy kitschy miniature models from a theoretical perspective: what does it mean to craft a space for it to be looked at from a single angle (that's not normal, guys), what are the ways in which this logic is less fictitious and actually undergirding your day to day? yeah the image keeps kids in doctors offices busy but how about the gal out on the town...!”

“I will forever be in awe of these.”

“I’m on a mission to thrift a hearty collection of I SPY books. They’re surprisingly hard to find and so far I only have three- the search continues! You can definitely buy these books from ThriftBooks or AbeBooks for ~$5, but I’m convinced I’m one garage sale away from a hoard. Anyway, I like keeping my I SPY books (and other fun, quick reads) out as coffee table books so they’re as easy to access as my phone. • Visually engaging | The images in I SPY are delightful to view! I argue that I SPY books are more interesting than anything on Instagram and the scenes are made completely by hand and shot on film (no photoshop or AI). • Improve focus and attention | I’m not saying I SPY books will heal your broken attention span, but they provide an opportunity to practice your skills.  • Challenging enough | These books are technically made for kids, so things aren’t hidden too hard. And yet, it requires some effort. Some objects are genuinely difficult to find! I broke down and Googled where a cat was hiding and there was an entire reddit thread about it.  • Fun for all ages | I have seen multiple adults huddled around the same book, excitedly calling out when they find a sneaky object. I SPY is a crowd pleaser. • Low commitment | I SPY is there for you when you only have a couple of minutes and don’t want to settle into a novel only to be interrupted. Pick a page, start looking, put it down, come back to it later, easy-peasy.”