I Spy with My Little Eye Baseball

January 1, 2011

Baseball is a game of many possibilities, and there are so many ways to experience it. Herzog and Milne have taken the game of I Spy and cleverly married it to the national pastime. Seemingly identical side-by-side photo collages of everything baseball, from equipment to action to memorabilia, are placed on double page spreads. Rhyming clues challenge readers to match the photos and find all the differences. Each spread also includes applicable factual material that cites anecdotes and history and delves into the finer points of the game. Milne's carefully composed photos, especially the object collages, are visually appealing and stimulating. The language of the informational portion of the text might be too sophisticated for the usual I Spy audience, and the clues only offer a bare minimum of hints. A great deal of patience is needed to spot the numerous variations, as many as 41 in one spread, and might prove too frustrating for young readers. Nonetheless this is a work that can be pored over and shared by several sharp-eyed baseball lovers at a time. (Picture book/puzzle. 6-12)

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May 1, 2011

Gr 2-4-In this engaging picture book, each spread offers two sets of almost identical color photos. The task is to spot the differences in them. Rhymed verses offer clues. While it is fun for children to accept this type of challenge, some of the photos offer as many as 40 changes. There is no answer key. A "Photo-fact" paragraph on each page provides additional details about this sport. The largest audience attempting this challenge will be the "I Spy" fans, but the baseball theme may pick up a few readers as well. However, Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo's series, which includes I Spy Ultimate Challenger! (Scholastic, 2003), among others, is the gold standard in this genre.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

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