posted on 26 Sep 2024

Eye Spy written and illustrated by Ruth Brown

First published in 2022, Ruth Brown’s interpretation of the simple observation game has now been released in a lovely large-sized paperback edition.

This really is the perfect sharing book – for parent and child or for teacher and their charges. There’s the very familiar repetitive formula:

“I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…”

And this is followed by the rhyme that introduces the object that must be guessed:

“It comes up in the East, it goes down in the West. It fills our days with warmth and light. It rhymes with fun…”

And then on the facing page is the real gem – a beautiful illustration to give you more of clue (should you need it). And let’s be honest here – this book is all about the fantastic illustrations, the sumptuous paintings that are packed with colour and detail. And they give you a whole other batch of issues to talk about before you turn the page to discover the inevitable answer – the Sun.

The theme of the book is nature and wildlife and you’re invited to spy a host of small creatures that you’d hope to come across in the British countryside – snails, ladybirds bees, for example. But there are other, bigger animals to find – foxes, hares, deer.

Each drawing harbours one of these countryside creatures set in their natural habitat and you’ll need to talk as much about that as about the object you’re looking for if you’re going to find it.

It’s the mix of a simple, recognisable format and more complex illustration that has to be navigated that makes the book a winner and if you want to see the book in action you can see Ruth Brown herself reading it here:

Published by Scallywag Press, you can get a copy from your local independent bookshop – who will, of course, be happy to order it for you if they don’t have it on the shelf.

 

Terry Potter

September 2024