Genre: Fiction
Audience: Pre k-2
This is an underwater counting book for young children that features different sea creatures from dolphins, to crabs and sharks. Young children can also see through an underwater window to guess which animal they are seeing. ( )

Simple, colorful fun. ( )

Based on the children’s game, each phrase begins with the rhyme, “I spy with my little eye…” Peer through the circular cutout to see part of a sea creature – the tail of a seahorse, the claw of a crab, the tentacle of an octopus. Not only will the guessing game keep readers enthralled, readers will also count down from seven clown fish to one shark.

The text follows the simple repetitive pattern of the game, with additional hints in speech bubbles. Although books that use the I Spy game have been popular for years, I especially like this one because of the lively and playful illustrations. The digital illustrations use bright colors and collage like backgrounds. The illustrations have depth and perspective and are very pleasing to the eye. The circular cutout is the icing on the book design cake. It’s fun to look through the holes to guess the animal and equally fascinating to turn the page and see the cutout all but disappear as it lines up perfectly with the drawing on the previous page.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2012/08/book-222-i-spy-under-sea-by-edward-g...