I Spy Christmas: Can You Find the The Two Silver Bells?
Written: Oct 23 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wonderful Seasonal Photos. Kids like it.
Cons: Secular Christmas only. Older children lose interest once items are found.
The Bottom Line: I Spy Christmas is a fine coffee table book for the holidays and adults may have more fun exploring the thirteen double page photos than the kids.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick - I Spy Christmas: A... |
When my grand children are over the house I enjoy reading and sharing the small challenges of searching for items in the I Spy Books. It's fun for them and for me. I happen to particularly like I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles. I believe the spirit of Christmas comes out in them even if this is a secular book with no mention or reference to the first six letters of the third word in the title of the book.
Nuts and Bolts...No, Bird's of Blue and Santa's Shoes
The book has a series of thirteen photographs by Walter Wick and are titled such...
...Ornaments
Winter Wonderland
Window Shopping
The Holly and the Ivy
Winter Sports
Baking Cookies
Chrismas Crafts
Santa’s Workshop
Stocking Stuffers
Antique Teddy Bears
Nutcracker Sweets
Under the Tree
Silent Night
When I saw the title Silent Night I thought perhaps a touch of the true story of Christmas might come through. It doesn't. Instead the writers chose a lovely aerial photo of a New England looking scene (it's really a small miniature set)with small homes with smoke coming from chimneys, a RR station and a church with a tall steeple that catches the eye. All is covered in a winter wonderland of fresh fallen snow.
This photograph like all the rest are quite stunning and all have a very different tone, colour scheme and feel to them. They are quite attractive.
Each double page, that has an image that's about 12" X 20", are large and fill the pages except for a small area on the bottom that contains a short riddle all by Jean Marzollo. It's this text that invites the children to find objects that are somewhat similar to those around them. The first photograph is of many Christmas ornaments fitted tightly together. Among them and looking like ornaments are objects to find as shown in the text that is in a form of a short rhyme.
The rhyme on the first photograph.
I spy a clock; a bumpy green pickle; Santa on a sleigh and a face on a nickel; a frog on a leaf; a chubby teddy bear; black and white keys, and a yellow-red pear.
Most are easy to find for an adult with a bit of time. Some blend in well and take a bit more effort.
Our Experience
My eight year old grand daughter enjoys the book. The searching is fun for her. The problem is that once the eight or so items are found on each page, the sport is over. I have done this book with my four year old grand daughter and she has a little trouble finding the objects. A little help in giving direction from grandpa helps her out. She has not remembered placement when viewing the book a week or two later.
This book is one we have in addition to those that tell the story as we believe of what the holiday is truly about.
It's a good coffee table book for the holidays and adults will have more fun exploring the thirteen double page photos than the kids.
Though I Spy Christmas first came out in 1992, it is still quite available for on-line purchase. It's a book we take out year after year.
The Polar Express
Santa's Suit A touch/feel book for younger children
Recommended:
Yes
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