I SPY

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.