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Quick answer: If you loved I Spy, try Where's Waldo?, Can You See What I See?, Where's Wally? The Fantastic Journey, Animalia, The Eleventh Hour and Busy, Busy Town. Each one is a fun look-and-find, puzzle or picture book that keeps young eyes searching.
The I Spy books, with rhyming riddles by Jean Marzollo and photographs by Walter Wick, ask children to find hidden objects in richly detailed scenes. Starting with I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles in 1992, the series has grown to many titles and spin-offs. Children love the search, while parents enjoy the beautiful photography. These books share its hunt-and-find fun and its puzzles.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where's Waldo? | Martin Handford | 4+ | readers who want the classic search |
| Can You See What I See? | Walter Wick | 4+ | readers who want more Walter Wick |
| Where's Wally? The Fantastic Journey | Martin Handford | 4+ | readers who want a harder Waldo |
| Animalia | Graeme Base | 5+ | readers who love detailed art |
| The Eleventh Hour | Graeme Base | 7+ | readers who like mystery puzzles |
| Busy, Busy Town | Richard Scarry | 3+ | younger readers |
| Each Peach Pear Plum | Janet and Allan Ahlberg | 2+ | toddlers |
| Where's Spot? | Eric Hill | 1+ | toddlers |
| Waldo: Where's Waldo Now? | Martin Handford | 4+ | readers who want more Waldo |
| I Spy Spooky Night | Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick | 4+ | readers who want more I Spy |
| Mouse Paint | Ellen Stoll Walsh | 2+ | younger readers |
| Press Here | Hervé Tullet | 3+ | readers who like interactive books |
| The Mysteries of Harris Burdick | Chris Van Allsburg | 8+ | older kids who like mysteries |
| Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? | Bill Martin Jr. | 2+ | toddlers |
| The Jolly Postman | Janet and Allan Ahlberg | 4+ | readers who like hidden letters |
1. Where's Waldo? by Martin Handford
Find a man in a striped shirt in huge, busy crowds.
Best for: readers who want the classic search.
2. Can You See What I See? by Walter Wick
Wick creates new photo puzzles for searchers.
Best for: readers who want more Walter Wick.
3. Where's Wally? The Fantastic Journey by Martin Handford
Wally travels through fantasy lands.
Best for: readers who want a harder Waldo.
4. Animalia by Graeme Base
An alphabet book packed with hidden objects.
Best for: readers who love detailed art.
5. The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base
Readers solve who ate an elephant's birthday feast.
Best for: readers who like mystery puzzles.
6. Busy, Busy Town by Richard Scarry
Scenes packed with busy animal characters.
Best for: younger readers.
7. Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
A rhyming I-spy game with nursery-rhyme characters.
Best for: toddlers.
8. Where's Spot? by Eric Hill
Lift the flaps to find a hiding puppy.
Best for: toddlers.
9. Waldo: Where's Waldo Now? by Martin Handford
Waldo travels through time.
Best for: readers who want more Waldo.
10. I Spy Spooky Night by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick
Photo riddles set in a spooky old house.
Best for: readers who want more I Spy.
11. Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Three mice discover how colors mix.
Best for: younger readers.
12. Press Here by Hervé Tullet
A book that asks readers to press, shake and tilt.
Best for: readers who like interactive books.
13. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
Strange pictures with only a title and a caption.
Best for: older kids who like mysteries.
14. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
A rhyming question-and-answer book.
Best for: toddlers.
15. The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
A postman delivers real letters to fairy-tale characters.
Best for: readers who like hidden letters.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with I Spy: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to I Spy. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For the classic search, Where's Waldo? is the obvious next step. Walter Wick's Can You See What I See? uses the same style of photography. Older kids who want harder puzzles should try The Eleventh Hour or Animalia, while toddlers will love Brown Bear, Brown Bear. For interactive fun, Press Here is a great choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are I Spy books?
Picture riddle books where children find hidden objects in photographs.
What age are I Spy books for?
They suit children from about 4 to 9.
Who made the I Spy books?
Jean Marzollo wrote the riddles and Walter Wick took the photographs.
How many I Spy books are there?
There are many titles, plus easy readers and spin-offs.
Are I Spy books educational?
Yes. They build vocabulary, attention and visual skills.
Are there I Spy books for beginning readers?
Yes. The Scholastic Reader I Spy books pair simple riddles with easy words, so children can read them on their own.