I wrote this book with some difficulty because Walter didn't discuss the photos with me before he made them. He wanted complete freedom. The result was a series of spectacular photos with a treasure hunt, seaside theme. I liked them, but I was worried that 5-year-olds would miss the complexity with which Walter designed the beautiful village. I have always written I SPY so that kindergarteners will be able to find objects. To do that, I have to make sure that everything is concrete.

I tested the pictures in I SPY TREASURE HUNT with kids and found that they didn't fully understand Walter's plan. So, in this I SPY book, and only in this book, I departed from the regular I SPY sentence structure. I began the second picture with "Standing on the porch of Duck Pond Inn," and I began the fifth picture with "Standing in the fort and looking at the view." I tested this change with children and found it was better for them.

Sometimes, when you're an author with a plan, you have to be flexible and depart from the plan. The most important goal is for the reader to understand.

*Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Book Award

“Stunning - a surrealistic adventure.”
AMAZON.COM

“Marzollo's structured rhymes provide the clues while Wick's stunningly detailed miniature village provides the hidden answers for readers to seek out.” SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL