Amazon.com

Can you spy "a tortoise, a hare, a tea bag, a key/ a clock, and a flag on a house in a tree"? It's not easy--but readers of all ages will have a whole lot of fun trying. With more than a dozen I Spy picture books under their belts, including I Spy Gold Challenger, the award-winning photographer/riddler team of Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo are masters of their art form. And in Treasure Hunt, they've outdone themselves. Readers search for subtly hidden objects on every beautifully composed and photographed page. At first glance the setting seems like any other quaint seaside town. Take a second look and discover that it's in fact a very realistic model, with giant pencil erasers filling truck beds and gargantuan pennies nestled among the boulders of an island. The result is stunning, a surrealistic adventure.

Children will love to pursue the mystery of the pirate's hidden treasure, narrowing their search with every delightfully cluttered page. Looking for an additional challenge? Try the extra-credit riddles. For the inspired reader, Wick and Marzollo also include pages on how to create I Spy riddles and pictures. (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (12)

I love the pictures of miniature settings!
I picked this book out because of the beautiful photography and the clever way objects were inserted into miniature settings. The 12 pictures in I SPY TREASURE HUNT are beautiful and fascinating to pore over. Sometimes the photographs are a bit blurry or hazy, though, which made me wonder if I was missing something. I wasn't always sure what I was looking for. Or you only see a tiny part of the thing you're supposed to find. And the extra credit riddles need to be on a foldout page so you can refer to them without flipping back and forth. Still, it's a beautiful, clever book and a lot of fun.

These are wonderful books for all ages
I didn't pay much attention to the "I Spy" books until I bought one for my niece. I thought it was strictly a children's book, and I only bothered looking at it to make sure it contained nothing objectionable. Ten minutes later, *I* was hooked! So now I have several for my 3-year-old niece and several that I'm "holding" for her.

"Treasure Hunt" is my favorite "I Spy" because the pictures relate to each other and when followed tell a story. "Spooky Night" also does this. The rest just seem to contain pictures that follow the theme given in the title but don't relate to each other. The challenger books don't have original pictures; they use the pictures from the themed books and give them new, supposedly harder, riddles.

In my opinion, the earlier books are the easiest and the later books are quite a bit harder (and maybe more suitable for older "children").

I personally prefer the themed books to the challengers and the later books to the earlier, but I heartily recommend any, or even all, of the "I Spy" books.

Looking for the seashell?
Iv'e enjoyed the priceless moments with my children looking for hidden treasures in this book.

I Spy Treasure Hunt
We love the I Spy series of books. We own them all and our kids have never failed to find the object they're seaching for, until this book. Page 22 and 23. We cannot find the seashell. Oh sure, your imagination leads you to believe certain shapes, objects, lights, holes, etc. appear that they could pass as a seashell, but nothing is conclusive. We have written letters to Jean Marzollo, but no response. We found Walter Wick's website, but it says his schedule is too busy to respond to an email. Frankly, we don't think it exists. If you know, please type in a review. Thank you!!!

Want Hours of Fun Stimulation For Your Mind? Here It Is!!
I absolutely *adore* the I Spy picture riddle book series, and have a number of them in my personal library collection. I am 19 years of age, yet I don't find these books to be for "little kids only". This book is outstanding in its ability to ignite the brain power in people of ANY age. For that alone, I'd give it five stars! The pictures are whimsical and creative, the riddles fun and challenging even to the "older" crowd. A great read, and DEFINITELY one to place on your family's Christmas list! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This encyclopedia can make anyone feel like a scientist! Not only does it have fascinating facts on everything from atoms to zephyrs, it also shows how scientists work--describing, measuring, and asking questions about the world. Filled with detailed, sharp illustrations and eye-catching photographs, this book could keep a curious kid (or adult!) occupied for weeks. The one- and two-page entries are thematically organized--much more useful than alphabetical entries for making connections and thinking about whole systems. Some of the best categories are "Reactions," "Materials," "Weather," "Space," and "How Living Things Work." But every entry has accurate, well-written text cross-indexed to related pages and to the "Fact Finder" section in the back, with charts, tables, and maps to use with each section. A glossary and index round out this thorough package. You may grow so attached to this fantastic encyclopedia that you never want to leave it behind.... For portability, we recommend the pocket version, which weighs less, but is jam-packed with great science. And for budding biologists who can't get enough of the "Living Things" section in the Science Encyclopedia, the The DK Nature Encyclopedia is sure to please. (Ages 9 to 12) --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Typos
This book covers almost everything school children will learn in science class. My children refer to it often to look for those extra new details concerning their classes. However they have discovered some errors (and this is the revised ed.)which I will call typos especially in the Periodic Table, which did dampen their enthusiasm with the book and shook their trust a little.

Compact Visual Encyclopedia
This is a kid-size book even adults will love. It is small enough to toss in your purse or put in your pocket. There are over 1,000 full-color photographs, diagrams, charts and cutaway artworks. The information is organized into four key sections and packed with scientific facts, figures and statistics.

This book explains the basic concepts of "matter," "Kinetic Theory," "atoms," "elements (including the Periodic Table)", "Metals" and much more. A Timeline of Scientific discoveries is fun to read and lists discoveries up to 1995.

The Geography section will help children understand the planet more and it explains volcanoes, earthquakes, rocks, minerals, mountains, rivers, lakes, climate and weather. The Gemstone section was quite pretty with rubies, emeralds and turquoise in their natural state. The section on animals gives cutaway pictures that show the insides of each animal so children can understand how a cow chews its cud or how other animals digest their food. How does a whale trap krill in its mouth? This type of information was very interesting.

All I have to say is..."If God didn't design and create our wonderful world, I am not sure who did!" This book will give a child a basic understanding of main concepts, but some parents might want to consider explaining their own views about evolution and creation.

"All Men by Nature Desire To Know." -Aristotle, a quote found in: The Story of Philosophy by Bryan Magee

The inquisitive soul will enjoy reading this book!

And this is a science book?!
This book has a very good section on nonbiological science, but when it gets to the biology, it has, in my opinion, a very wrong premise. It assumes macroevolution is a biological fact, when it is, in fact, quite the opposite. This premise saturates the book, and in doing so, biological facts do not fit together nicely at all. Microevolution has been proven by science to be a true, and normal, scientific occurence, but macroevolution, as presented in this book, is a mixture of very good imaginations (as manifested by their colorful illustrations), outdated theories,and a few observations twisted to fit their outlook on science. But as to the section on the non-living aspects of science, I commend this book. This part is unslanted and it has helped me understand many matters of science. Its illustrations make it voluminously easier to understand.

Excellent combination of graphical and textual learning
This book can clearly teach you the core basics of every branch of science. This book is a joy to read and see.

This book will appeal to old and young alike.

This book does not dwell on any subject for too long so don't expect exhaustive information on a particular category.

For people who like comics this book is especially suited.

With this book alone, anyone can have obtain an extensive understanding of the world of science and nature. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ever wonder what a tardigrade might have looked like? Or what tree wetas eat? Now you can find out, because this great nature encyclopedia answers these questions and a jillion more. Organized into sections ("The Natural World," "How Living Things Work," "Ecology," "Classification," "Plants," and "Animals"), the Nature Encyclopedia is a perfect reference for anyone curious about organisms, ecosystems, and the scientists who study them.It's full of amazing color photos and easy-to-understand illustrations and diagrams so you can feel confident when you say, "Look, there's a Periplaneta americana, otherwise known as an American cockroach!Say, did you know they evolved long before humans?" We love this encyclopedia, and its companion book, The DK Science Encyclopedia, which covers the nonliving world with excellent information on space, rocks, electricity, and more.(Ages 9 to 12) --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Rekindling Our Respect for Nature!
This book has succeeded in describing the great diversity of life on earth in such an interesting way with colorful photographs and new information that one can't help but stand in awe of our great planet.The chapters discuss : How living things work,ecology, classification, plants and animals. I was afraid that the animal section in this book would be a repetition of DK's Animal Encyclopedia, but thankfully it wasn't, I found new information everytime. For those who are not familiar with DK's encyclopedias one should know that the superior photography and layout of these books really captivate children's attention and fascination with this world.

love of nature grows the more we know
I am delighted with this encyclopedia which I ordered as a present for my six year old. This handsome book has beautiful pictures and lots of information covering many aspects of nature. Attractive and accessible, it provides great rewards for the young reader whose love and respect of nature will grow as their knowledge expands. I expect it to be used in greater depth as my daughter grows older. For now, she loves to open it up and see what she finds - and becomes engaged immediately. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Perfect size for families on the go!
A smaller version of the full sized I Spy books, these books are just great. They include cropped pictures from the regular I Spy books and are printed on durable cardboard - just right for little hands!

My two year old loves this collection of books - they are just the right size for her to hold, are sturdy enough for her to play with, and there are lots of interesting pictures to hold her attention.

The pictures are lots of fun to look at. They give parents the opportunity to sit with their children and discover the different things in the pictures and to help their children identify them.

These are all very good books!! I highly recommend.

Good Way to Teach Observation Skills
These board books are a smaller and simpler version of the original "I Spy" series. If you are not familiar with the "I Spy" series, the basic concept is similar to "Where's Waldo" in that you "search" for specific objects. But in this case, the searching field is a series of photographs that depict varied and interesting items. Each photograph has a particular theme and is full of colorful and inventive objects.

The original "I Spy" books ask you to find many objects in each photo and can be very challenging. My husband and I got a kick out of finding the objects ourselves and by no means breezed through the books. These simplified board books are geared toward a much younger audience--they offer toddlers and younger children a way to play the same type of game. The photographs contain only a handful of objects, and the reader is asked to find only two objects per page.

My daughter really enjoys these types of interactive books. They give her a chance to be "proud" when she finds whatever she's looking for. There is also a similar series I would recommend called "Find the Duck (Puppy, Piglet, Kitten, Teddy)..." books. In the "Find the..." series the child is looking for the same object throughout the book. . If you are interested, I wrote a review on that series where I go into more detail about them.

Overall, these are a nice way to interact with your toddler--they offer an opportunity to teach patience and to carefully investigate things. My only criticism is that I noticed that the photos that they use are just blown up portions of photos taken from their original series. I wish they would be more creative and use entirely new photos.

FUN!
We have all the I Spy books to date and this is my 3 year old's favorite. He LOVES searching for the certain animals, identifying the other animals, and even attempts to sound like the different animals. We've had this book since before my son was 1. Don't wait until your child is a toddler to buy this book! ... Read more

Book Description

From its rickety gate to its cobwebbed attic, this haunted house contains 13 spooky environments. Readers will marvel at Walter Wick's beautifully executed photographs as they travel through each enchanting scene and solve the rhyming riddles, reading the story along the way. Over two million "I Spy" books have been sold to date. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A wonderful excursion into a world of details.
This is much more than just a children's book (although I'm sure it delights kids.) Amazingly detailed and photographed scenes draw you through a series a pictures detailing a journey through a spooky house. Along the way you search for items in the pictures, but it's much more than a simple find-the-hidden-objects puzzle because the scenes are filled with dozens of weird things that you aren't even asked to find. This book is great fun with friends of all ages!

great halloween table book
i liked it so much... i bought 5-6 and gave them as gifts..... then i found they had a christmas book...... then the little books for baby's.... can't wait for the little baby christmas and numbers..... i have spent so much on marzollo & wick books.... i should buy stock

Creepy
When I tried to donate this book to a local library, the children screamed. No way were they going to give up their spooky looking book, with lots of riddle limmericks and hunt-and-find fun to keep them busy into the wee hours. Betcha can't find all the candles and cobwebs, spiders and witches' brew in this year-round Halloween gem. Alyssa A. Lappen

Where is the Striped Cat?
My family loves this book and we all participate. However, we were stuck on the last page. Where is the Striped Cat?

A spooky story book from beginning to end
This book is well worth the money, even after you find all of the listed items on each page. You realize there is more to this book... everything is tied into each other. It is an adventure to figure out what the rebus clue leads you to in the end. My grandson and I really spent alot of quality time together on this book, and he still loves to pick it up and do it all again. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I Spy Books are fun
I spy books are fun to read. In i spy funhouse it is very good. They are very good at hideing things. I like all of the i spy books. They are all good books.

Entertaining Fun in your House
This is a funhouse book, It is worth a second look. Read it and you'll see, It does splendidly.

Kids love it, Moms love it, Neither throw a fit, And gladly they will sit, To read this book a bit.

The pictures are great! Can YOU find its mate? ... Read more

Book Description

School's open for I Spy fans, with a fun learning activity on every page. Readers will find a blackboard scene with brainteasers to solve, a classification puzzle to ponder, a nature scene to explore, and much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A lot of fun!
My ten year old son introduced me to this fun little book (OK, It's big, but thin.), which he has been looking at for several years now. It has fourteen, two-page sized pictures of a collection of odds and ends connected with school. At the bottom of each of them is a list of things that you can look for (sort of like, Where is Waldo). But, read through to the end, there is a riddle about someone you'll find in each of the pictures.

This is a fun book. It challenges the young reader to concentrate on what is actually on the page, and pick out certain select items. I like that my son reads it for fun, even as the book is teaching him to concentrate and search systematically. He loves this book, and so do I. We both highly recommend this book to you.

I SPY SCHOOL DAYS IS SO FUN
I love this so much because it's fun, it's awesome, and now I want all the I Spy books. The I spy school days book rules. The coolest part was where all the toys were. This review was dictated to me by my 7 yr. old son.

Great Books
This is great! Also, in the "Be My Valentine" page, there's one that you should look for- a queen. It took me hours! Recommended.

Incredibly well done
Children of all ages (adults too!) will find something to enjoy in these pages -- the young ones just looking at the absorbing pictures and the older ones searching for the myriad of items hidden within each scene.

The scenes are each a two page photograph filled with many objects that revolve around a certain theme, from the alphabet to a town of blocks to a wooden marble machine that actually works (see the last pages for a note on this). At the bottom of each scene is a riddle to tell the searcher what he or she is looking for and to provide clues. Some of the objects are easy to find, some are impossibly difficult!

And for those of you who reach the end of the book and wish it wasn't over ... it doesn't have to be. There are additional riddles on the last pages so you can enjoy the pictures all over again.

Highly recommended.

Parent's best friend for a long trip
This book is as exciting for kids as it is for parents. I bought our first I Spy book for a long (17 hrs) plane flight with my 3.5 year old and it really did the job of entertaining him enough. Without it the trip could have been a nightmare. I recommend it to anyone who needs to keep a child entertained and occupied for a longer period of time.

Each page is a picture if multiple little objects. Under the picture there are several riddles, and kids can spend quite a lot of time looking for the objects. But parents can make addititional riddles--so many objects are hidden or not obvious. And they can have fun too.

The artwork is beautiful and sharp. While older kids can learn to be more observant, younger ones can enhance their vocabulary by learning the name of the objects (with an adult's help , of course). ... Read more

Book Description

Learn all about Earth's closest neighbor in this unprecedented guide to the red planet. Including up-to-the-minute data from NASA's ongoing explorations, this amazing resource tells the whole story - from Mars' mystical significance in early cultures to the ambitious future plans for manned-flight explorations. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the people and traditions of one of the most dynamic countries in the world.

Discover the rich diversity of the world's most populous democracy in this stunning guide. Witness the beauty of the Taj Mahal, learn how India gained its independence, discover the splendor of the Mughal dynasty, and much, much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Heavy but Worth it!
These DK white books are uncommonly heavy. They don't have as much detailed information as the Blue Guides or Rough Guides, but are good for brief visits or first timers. Where they excell is their outstanding illustrations and diagrams, often cutaways. The maps are good, but the labeling system makes it difficult to locate things easily. Lots of full page color photos give a preview of the trip. It's a daunting task to try to cover India in a single guide, but this book almost does it. It's well organized, color coded by region. The picture of Palitana in the Gujarat section became the foundation for that section of our 2003 trip to India [ cascoly.com/trav/india.asp ], and the diversion provided one of the highlights of the entire 6 week trip.

Bottom line? Your best bet is to get the Rough and Blue Guides, then be sure that someone else on the trip is carrying the DK. Or buy the books you need, and then just scan the pages you need to bring with you. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great!
These are great books for distracting our pediatric patients (and parents!) during procedures/tests.

Very Good I Spy Book
Great for all ages. This set of books is very good for testing your eyes. You will have tons of fun with these books. Families love these books.

Fantasy in Every Page!
Unless your memory is photographic, you will find it challenging to find the things described in these rhyming riddles to be a brand new each time you open this. Pretty soon, the items in the puzzle all look alike. Growing a little weary of looking, you eventually call out for help, which makes these a great family time. Funny but the older the person the more frustration they seem to have. My children's grandfather still gets so amazed with these then he gives up and says " its not on there...I looked " then the three year old will spot that same object he was looking for. The I Spy Fantasy has the most unbelievable pictures. There are also extra credit riddles in the back of the book so these books never get old. My family owns each one and these are truly our favorite!

Teaching and Old Dog to do New Tricks
This book in the "I Spy" series was a long-lasting adventure for my children, ages 3 and 5. They were able to complete many of the riddles on their own, working together to solve them. Then we (the parents) jumped in, and we were hooked immediately. Once we solved all the riddles, we then used the "extra-credit" suggestions in the back. That prompted us to make up our OWN riddles from the pictures. Then, it got interesting....one day, Poppy (Grandpa) came to visit, and he saw the girls working on the Fantasy Book. He became deeply engrossed in this book, as I had never seen before. After 10 minutes, my kids were helping my father solve the riddles. Seems he needed a refresher course on powers of observation (although eyesight was mentioned once, but discounted). My father spent an hour of his visit working and playing with my kids on this book. I know what his stocking will be full of this Christmas. I can recommend that to others as well...not for kids only!

The pictures are so good at hiding things.
In this book, you look for hidden things in fantastic pictures. Below the pictures there are the things you are looking for written down. I really like testing my eyes. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the world of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayas -- their beliefs, rituals and flourishing civilizations.

Here is an original and exciting guide to the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas -- and the people who went before them. Stunning full-color photographs of weapons and tools, sculpture, metalwork and ceramics offer a unique "eyewitness" view of these rich and complex civilizations. See an Aztec sacrificial knife, a Teotihuacan mask made from turquoise and coral, a life-size statue of an eagle warrior and a Peruvian mummy bundle. Learn what a Mayan market looked like, why jade was so valuable to the people of Mesoamerica, the techniques used by Aztec goldsmiths and why the quetzal bird was so important. Discover why the Aztecs made human sacrifices, how to play the ball game, what sort of clothes Mayan women wore and how the Mayan calendar worked. And much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Wonderful Way to Spark A Child's Interest!
The Eyewitness series of books is primarily aimed at children ages 8-14. They are all full of many clear bright color photographs and illustrations that are each accompanied by a paragraph or so of factual information. The Eyewitness series is a great way to spark a youth's interest in a subject. They have books on just about every topic imaginable from Archaeology to Zoology.

Not too good.
This book wasn't that great because it was boring and didn't have that much imformation. It's scientific facts of the people wern't that good.

Beautifully illustrated but covers too much ground.
This is another in the delightful series of Eyewitness books for children. It is beautifully illustrated with excellent photographs and a terrific collection of illustrations taken from modern and historical sources. However, this book tries to cover too much in the alloted space. The book shows examples of clothing, tools, architecture, religion and arts from all 3 cultures (Maya, Aztec & Inca). Unfortunately, the book also includes examples from cultures preceding and succeeding these great civilizations such as the Moche, Mixtec, Toltec, Olmec and Nazca. This makes for a somewhat confusing situation, and you wish for a timeline and map to show when and where all these peoples are located. All in all, it's a very eye-catching book. I do suggest for future editions the Eyewitness folks should consider books that concentrate specifically on the Maya, Aztec or Inca, or at least one volume on Mexico and Mesoamerica and one volume on Peru. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick team up yet again for another perfectlittle I Spy picture book. In this one, kids who are just learning toread can practice their ABC's with Wick's special photo illustrations andMarzollo's clever alphabetical rhymes: "I spy an L wearing lacy white, and ametal M that's screwed on tight." Borrowing from some of their previous books(I Spy, I Spy School Days, and others),the author-illustrator team adds an original twist to the usual alphabet book,with each letter covered in its own letter-inspired design. P is plaid, E is apink eraser, V is veiled with vines. Surrounding each letter are pictures ofobjects beginning with that letter (octopus, orange, ostrich). Young childrenwill enjoy identifying the crisp, detailed pictures and reciting the bouncyrhymes. (Ages 2 to 5) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great for those learning their letters.
This book is perfect for a child learning their letters, colors and names of familiar objects. My two-year-old has fun finding objects that begin with each letter of the alphabet and the rhymes are just his speed. Parenst of toddlers know how some books can wear on you after a few reads...this one doesn't. :)

Can you find...?
We play a game I invented called "Can you find...?" in many other related books and when I came across the I SPY series, I knew the author had a winner. We own a number of the I SPY books today and they have become our favorites. It teaches patients and focuses her attention on looking for the little details in life. I will admit that I still use my phrase "Can you find?" to this day. Easy to read series. Highly recommended to 3 years old.

Nice, but not what expected
Since I'm restricted to ordering my books online, I'm unable to peek inside to check out the pages.

The alphabet is great with a picture scheme on each of the letters that represent the first letter of the word. It's not difficult to find the letters as they place about 3 large letters on a page with anywhere between 4-7 small pictures around..all on a white background. The inside pages are nothing like the cover.

The numbers and alphabet books might be better for a child up to age 1 (at least in the case for my child).

I bought this for my child's 2nd birthday hoping she'd have to search and find the letters of the alphabet to make it a little more interesting for her. It's still a nice alphabet book for practicing, but not so much for searching.

I found the numbers book to be more interesting since it offered more objects on the page that is more similar to the typical 'I Spy' series. The numbers are still clearly visible, so still not much searching. I'll have to order the older children's I Spy books since young children are more intriqued with complexity than with simple unchallenging pictures.

I SPY LITTLE LETTERS
I have worked with children as a pediatric nurse for 31 years and have spent a great deal of time reading children's storybooks to the children under my care. I purchased "I SPY LITTLE LETTERS" for my 29 month old grandchild. There is no better way to give a young child a sense of pride than by asking them to find objects on the page of a book. I am a believer in the "I SPY" concept so we proceeded to read the book together. What a delightful book! It is colorful, cheerful and fun too. The pages will keep a child busy for a while for there is a lot to do. Colorful letters and easily identifiable objects and figures are to be found on every page. The book challenges a child to observe, find and verbally express their discoveries. What a sense of accomplishment it is for a child to be able to discover things. I highly recommend this little board book for toddlers. It is a terrific early introduction to reading. ... Read more

Book Description

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

A detailed look at life in Egypt - from the pharaoh and his courtiers, through the mystical rites of the priests, to the world of the workers in the fields.Featuring stunning items from the tomb of Tutankhamun and jewelry from the royal palaces, Eyewitness Ancient Egypt shows how Egyptian palaces, Eyewitness Ancient Egypt shows how Egyptian nobles lived.Find out how they prepared for the afterlife and what food, clothes, weapons, and even toys ordinary people enjoyed.See the mummies of priests and kings, fruit that is more than 3,000 years old, the treasures of the pharaohs and the weapons of an Egyptian soldier. Learn why even cats and dogs were mummified, why the pharaohs were buried with boats and statues, why brave Egyptian soldiers had medals in the shape of flies and how the doctors of Egypt healed the sick. Discover what was inside the Great Pyramid at Giza, how Tutankhamun's tomb was found, what games Egyptian children played, what went on in the temples of Ancient Egypt and how hieroglyphics were deciphered. And much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Excelent
It's a great book.
And besides I love to study about ancient Egypt, it's just so interasting.

Love it!
I'm a dabbler in Ancient Egyptian history and this is a great buy. At under $15 I think it's a great deal considering it's hardcover and has a TON of full color pictures. It covers a wide array of topics from Geography to Pharoahs. The book is handsome enough to display on a coffee table, detailed enough to get a taste of ancient egypt, and still simple enough that it would make a terrific gift for a child of any age (I'm 23 and I think this book is fantastic).

Other topics include: daily life of the Egyptian (not just nobility!), tools, jewelry, mummification, writing system, agriculture, textiles, food, religion.

Eyewitness:Ancient Egypt
I think that Eyewitness:Ancient Egypt is an amazing book. I liked how they wrote about how the Egyptians built their pyramids. If you are thinking about reading this book you should,because you will learn alot. Belive me, it's a very interesting book.

ancient egypt
this is a great book on ancient egypt. this book has 60 pages that are filled with lots of info. this book has a great overveiw on ancient egypt and is filled with lots of great colored pictures on every page. if you are into ancient egypt you will want to buy this book that is great for all ages.

SEE ancient Egypt
DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful museum-quality photos of all things related to Egypt, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about Egypt, mummies, egyptian gods, and everyday life in Egypt. SEE the objects common to everyday life in Egypt. If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated by Egypt and archaeology, then you must introduce them to this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Bringing the amazing world of words to children ages five and older.

This exciting photographic encyclopedia is packed with clear, well-researched information and quizzes for curious minds. Lively photographic design makes it especially appealing for children ages 6 and up. Bite-sized key points, fact buttons, and quiz questions bring information to life. Exciting project ideas and games boost learning and capture children's imagination. Also supports school curriculum. ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring an extra-sturdy library binding!

Everybody knows that spies wear white dinner jackets, drive sports cars, like their drinks shaken not stirred, and carry electric saws disguised as watches. Or do they? Certainly, some real spies are sophisticated members of the diplomatic service, but most are ordinary people from all walks of life. Spy is a journey through the history of espionage, from biblical spies who helped bring down the walls of Jericho to today's technological intrusions on the internet. Real-life spying equipment and gadgets are as amazing as those designed by Q for James Bond. Eyewitness Spy shows how, after the Cold War, and despite the new spirit of international cooperation, there is still a place for the spy in the modern world. Written by Richard Platt, author of the best-selling Cross-sections! Man-of-War and Eyewitness Pirate, Spy is a unique introduction to the dangerous lives of those who exist in the shadowy world of espionage. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best spy book its got cool gadgets and thats what counts
This was a excellent book and I would like to see more good stuff like this ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I spy a heart, a starfish, a frog, / A towel, a trowel, a taxi, adog;/ Seven horses, a barrel, a duck that is teeny, / Two real feathers, and a surfer's bikini." Now, all you have to do is find these objects in Walter Wick's masterful, crystal-clear, boldly colorful photographic landscapes. I Spy Gold Challenger! collects author Jean Marzollo and Wick's 12 favorite photographs from previous I Spy books, and invents a new series of ways to make children scratch their heads. A fantasy castle with a sand dragon and a medieval battle in progress; a complex city intersection made from wooden blocks and assorted toys; an attic stuffed with junk--each page seems more complex than the last. The seeming simplicity of the task at hand, and the surprising difficulty in finding all the items mentioned in the accompanying rhymes, remains a winning combination. (Click to see a sample spread. Text copyright ©1998 by Jean Marzollo. "Patterns and Paints" from I Spy School Days copyright ©1995 by Walter Wick. Permission from Scholastic Inc., Cartwheel Books.) (Ages 3 to 7) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

hours of fun
Like all of the I spy books, this one offers hours and hours of fun for all ages. Some of the things to be found took days to find, which can be a bit frustrating for some people.

The best trip companion for a little kid
This book is as exciting for kids as it is for parents. I bought our first I Spy book for a long (17 hrs) plane flight with my 3.5 year old and it really did the job of entertaining him enough. Without it the trip could have been a nightmare. I recommend it to anyone who needs to keep a child entertained and occupied for a longer period of time.

Each page is a picture if multiple little objects. Under the picture there are several riddles, and kids can spend quite a lot of time looking for the objects. But parents can make addititional riddles--so many objects are hidden or not obvious. And they can have fun too.

The artwork is beautiful and sharp. While older kids can learn to be more observant, younger ones can enhance their vocabulary by learning the name of the objects (with an adult's help , of course).

Terrific book, challenging for all ages
We have a 2-1/2 yr old daughter who absolutely LOVES the "I Spy" book series. This book is much more involved and difficult than the smaller board books designed for little ones. However, she got the idea of searching for things from the easier board books and soon got bored (pardon the pun). Using this larger version, we can make up lots of games to keep it interesting. Now, she asks us "I spy a ___" and we have to find it. Hard to do with only a few pictures on each page.

We have a lot of fun with it too - and haven't found some of the things after several months! Bottom line: Great book - start with the board books for younger ones and move up to this. make up your own games to challenge them. Enjoy

A great book!
This is a book of kids' games. It was really fun to play with. The whole book was very hard to do. I had fun with the book.

I love this book because of all of the creative pictures.
The page I like the most is Levers, Ramps, & Pulley because everything is put together & makes a Balloon Popper. ... Read more

Book Description

It is I Spy Mystery's 10th anniversary! To commemorate this event, a new challenge has been added. Just when you thought this classic I Spy could not get any better . . . we give you all new EXTRA CREDIT RIDDLES! More difficult than before, these new mysteries are sure to delight I Spy fans -- both old and new! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Captivating!!
My 5 year-old godson is absolutely enchanted by this book. It is his absolute favorite and the first thing wants when he comes over. It has been a source of countless evenings of entertainment for our family. The layout and photography of each page is very creative. This book is one that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages, over and over again!

My Favourite in the I Spy series
I have been a fan of Walter Wick's photographs and Jean Marzollo's rhymes since I was nine years old and my school friends and I huddled over the mat at school trying to find all the hidden items in the pages. Now that I'm eighteen I still love these books, not so much for the riddles but for the amazing and merticulous photographs, some of which just *beg* to have a story written about them (such as 'The Ghost in the Attic' photograph on pages 14-15). Each photograph has some sort of an enigma or mystery involved in it, whether it be messages written in the letters on building blocks, lost puzzle pieces or clues to a secret birthday party.

A complaint was made that 'I Spy Mystery' has no story to it. This is because this book was one of Wick/Marzollo's earlier editions, and it is only with their latest books - 'I Spy Spooky House' and 'I Spy Treasure Hunt' that they add a plot thread. But there is a theme in the other books, and this one is obviously 'mystery'. Each photograph is intriguing, and each riddle has a specific object to find that harks back to many old mystery and adventure books that you may have read as a child, whether it be 'the missing key to the chest', 'proof that the cat knocked over the can', 'the stolen diamond ring' or 'the pirate's X'. These types of clues add an extra dimension to the pictures and children will be more drawn into the hunt for the objects in the pictures, and as I mentioned before there is no end to the inspiration the photographs create - these are the perfect books to use to kindle a child's imagination.

It isn't just the riddles at the bottom of each page that will keep you occupied, there are more mysteries to be found at the back of the book: riddles that have to be matched to the photos, a charm bracelet that had its charms scattered throughout the pages, a cat that can be found in every page and a heart shaped box that's lost all its contents - these too are concealed throughout the book.

All in all, this is one of the better 'I Spy' books - in particular the photographs 'The Birthday Hunt', 'The Golden Cage', 'The Ghost in the Attic' 'The Secret Note' and 'Chain Reaction' are particularly well made.

P.S. (spoiler) To the reviewer who had trouble finding the 'dolphin' in the photograph 'The Naughty Kittens', it can be found on page 24 in the large tree. Look closely at the green on the right-hand side and you can see that it frames the blue shape of a dolphin against the blue background.

This series is great
These pictures are so great. Have fun with your grand-children or your children. These books are very mesmorizing. I own all the copies and I am anxiously awaiting a new arrival.

No theme to the book makes it uninteresting
After purchasing and thoroughly enjoying I SPY Spooky Night with my young son, I was very eager to buy I SPY Mystery for him. However, both my son and myself were disappointed in I SPY Mystery. The "mystery" in this book is not obvious from viewing the pages. To find out what the mystery is, you must go to the back of the book (which I did just by chance), where it is explained that a charm bracelet has broken and the charms have been scattered; the mystery is to find the charms, one per page in the book. This is not a particularly captivating task, especially when you consider that there is not really a mystery (or any other) theme or consistency across the pages in the book to make them interesting, and the idea of finding charms is, well, boring. As mentioned above, we own I SPY Spooky Night. Each page in the Spooky Night book shows you a different location in a haunted house, from the front gates and the outside of the house, to the living room and the garden outside -- each page has the same haunted, spooky theme which actually makes you feel like you are really exploring a haunted house. We also own I SPY Treasure Hunt, and while we enjoy Spooky Night more, Treasure Hunt is full of consistently themed pages containing glistening gold coins and other treasure related items. By contrast, I SPY Mystery is a collection of seemingly unrelated pages: One page is completely filled with marbles that have tiny images on them, another is a close up of sand with some shells and only a few small items buried in the sand, and another is a view through three or four keyholes of different kinds of toys in the room. In all, the weak "mystery" and the lack of a cohesive theme throughout the book made this book uninteresting reading for me and my son.

Amazing Photography
This is a wonderful series, my family has each book and we get so much enjoyment. The I spy Mystery I really feel has some great creative photography. I thought some of the pictures may be scary for the young but that wasn't so. They seem to be amazed with the photo that is like peeking though a keyhole and especially the pages with all the marbles. The extra credit questions in the back of this one are really a lot of fun. You can't go wrong with this book and is great for all ages! ... Read more

Amazon.com

After mastering the many I Spy books and then moving on to conquer thetougher-riddled I Spy GoldChallenger, kids begged Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick for an evengreater challenge. Naturally, this creative team rose to the occasion, creatingthe ultimate: Extreme Challenger! Open to any page and find amind-boggling array of things: "a lobster, a pig, a guitar, / Two skulls,a button, a spring, a car." Wick's exceptional photographic skill renders everyobject crystal clear, whether on a blank white background or against a backdropof dusty old bookshelves with antique toys, keys, clocks, and tools. Marzollo'srhymes are straightforward yet clever, matching "an ace" with "a missingbottle's space," and "puffball shoes" with "sad blue ooze." Children will haveso much fun "I spying," they won't even realize they're developing their visualdiscrimination ability, as well as their reading and vocabulary skills! Extracredit riddles at the end of the big, colorful book provide an additional testof readers' nimbleness, and the authors also encourage children to write theirown rhyming picture riddles based on the illustrations in the book. Okay, allyou eagle-eyes out there, have at it! (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Fun for all ages
This was the #1 request on my wish list for my 2 year old son. Not only can he study the pages to find animals, trucks, and toys, I can keep occupied by the riddles. He cannot find the difficult objects, but enjoys the colors and looking for the more obvious things. All of these books are excellent. They increase concentration and problem solving. They are great for 2 years to 100 years.

Provides hours of intense, enjoyable effort.
This book has been the source of hours of mind-stretching entertainment for my children and several hours of frustration for me. The puzzles are difficult, yet not impossible and there is nothing better in improving your powers of intense observation. They can be enjoyed by all children approximately eight years of age and older. I highly recommend it.

this book is great!
i think the i spy series should have more than 5 stars. it deserves 100 stars! i like them because of the photos and picture riddles, those are both cool. you should definitely try to collect these books because they're SO neat. keep 'em coming, marzollo & wick! and thanks for making such great books. p.s. these books are GREAT for road trips!

Extreme I Spy!
In which we find hidden objects & rhyming riddles in this extremely challenging collection of far-out photos of every imaginable object from hair clips to teething rings, from spiders to masks, from dinosaurs to baseball games.

Some pages have trays from old, old toy boxes & some pages are pure plastic paradises. There's a page of weird & toothy monsters made from pipe cleaners, corks & jelly beans & another of old seed packets, school books, chalk slate boards, ink pens & an abacus.

Boy, these sure are harder than I ever remember the game to be & a lot more fun! For one thing, they don't disappear around a corner as our car drove on!

Great for those long waits in airports or rainy summer days!

Pretty good "Greatest hits"
As others have mentioned, the "Challenger" books compile photos from other I Spy books. I'd say the riddles in this one are a little more difficult than the riddles that accompany the pictures in the original books. The clues tend to be for smaller, more obscured, or otherwise more difficult-to-find items in the pictures, so they are a little more challenging. Therefore still worth getting, I think, even if you have some of the original books.

We and our kids (Almost 4, and 1 1/2 years) love them, but one thing I'd say for small kids is that some of the pictures tend to be a little spooky (creepy clowns, skeletons, etc.). It seems to bother them less than I think it would, but if your kids are particularly sensitive...

Overall, the I Spy books are excellent and highly recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

i spy,,,find the time!
find the time to share this book and play the game with yourchild! the artwork and photography is exceptional. my 6 year old and ihighly recommend it! every page is breathtaking and you'll be "hooked" once you start "spying". items are hidden in the pictures with ryhming hints to help you out!

bridging generations
My son came home from the school library with this book the day before my Mother came for a weekend visit. He paid no attention to the book after arriving home until my Mother picked it up. Within a few minutes he, she, my stepfather and our younger son were totally engrossed in it and spent several hours poring over the pictures. I reminded the boys that they had another I Spy book in their room which they had never paid any attention to. They went flying to get it and all four of them had to be pried away from the book for dinner. My sons and my Mother had never really made a very warm emotional connection until they shared these books. That was several weeks ago and they still talk about it and my Mother is sending me pictures via e-mail of them solving the riddles in the books which I had taken with her camera. These books are a hit with everyone in my house.

This is one of the best Christmas books....
My son (He's 6) and I enjoy this book very much. It is an adventure everytime we read it. The extra Credits are also very challenging...

Very Good Book
This book is great for little kids. When their friends come over and get hooked on these books you will wonder where they have gone. This book is also great for families.

My Daughter's Favorite Book!!
We bought this when my daughter was about 4 years old and it quickly became her favorite book. She had an incredible ability to locate items in the photographs that boggled my mind. And, she never tired of finding those items. She is now 11 and just gave the book up.

I was amazed by the beautiful photographs and the fantastic way the items are hidden in the photgraphs. I had as much fun reading this book with my daughter as she did.

If you want to find the perfect book to bond with a son or daughter over...this is it!!! ... Read more

Book Description

This remarkable book explores the history and practice of Buddhism, beginning with the life of Buddha and continuing to the spread of Buddhism from Asia to the Western world. Beautiful photographs show the rituals, artifacts, and architecture that are important to the Buddhist tradition. ... Read more