Celebrating 70 years of I Spy – new books

I Spy is a classic game that has got many a parent through  a long car journey or even proved fun at home. I love how my daughter when really tiny wanted to join in with her brother but used to say “Tractor!” whatever letter we gave her. She is 14 years old now and we still giggle every time we see a tractor.

i-SPY are celebrating their 70^th Anniversary this year. The iconic spotting guides were first published in 1948 when creator, Charles Warrell, began selling small paperbacks versions in his local Woolworths. I have to confess I don’t remember these from my childhood and we have never used them until now.

i-SPY then and now….

Early editions of i-SPY give a unique snapshot of Britain in the 1940s. A lot may have changed around them but kids still love to spot! The simple, enduring formula remains unchanged – observing the world around you which is fun and educational too.

As the series’ popularity soared, so did the number of i-SPY titles available to spot. There are currently over fifty i-SPY books available to buy in the series, with over half a million sold in the UK. Supported firstly by News Chronicle in the 1950s and then published by the Daily Mail until the late 1980s when publication was taken over by Michelin. Since then i-SPY has found a new home at Collins.

Let’s celebrate with prizes

To celebrate 70 years of i-SPY Collins are giving away limited editions of i-SPY badges to customers who complete their i-SPY guides. This will be an exclusive limited run of 500 collector’s edition badges. Collins have also partnered with Away with the Kids and Timber Festival to offer an amazing competition prize for the whole family. The prize contains a i-SPY nature bundle and a family weekend ticket to Timber Festival, to enter and find out more visit: awaywiththekids.co.uk.

What will we spy?

New guides for 2018 – i-SPY at the shops, i-SPY garden birds, i-SPY butterflies and moths and i-SPY In the city. i-SPY books are co-published by Collins and Michelin and are available at £2.99 from collins.co.uk and all good booksellers. With a whole new range of i-SPY guides, Collins are looking forward to inspiring the next generation of spotters.

Our review

We were grateful to receive some books to see if we liked them. They have really captured our imaginations. They are pocket-sized so very handy to carry around with you. The ones that appealed to us most were the camping one and the one on astronomy. They were quite detailed so that you do learn from them but in  a non-pressured way. They are glossy and we find ourselves picking them up all the time at random moments sharing  information and looking out for things listed.

My son said “I like the quite unique offering in that that you can work towards badges if you spot a lot of things. I Spy was fun anyway but these books make it even better. I am going to go star-gazing and I also want to explore France too as there is one all about French sights.”

The books are in my view under-priced at just £2.99 but a fun holiday treat or thinking ahead an ideal stocking filler.