1. Concept

2. History of the series

3. Early titles

4. Michelin titles

5. See also

6. References

The I-SPY books are spotters' guides written for British children, and particularly successful in the 1950s and 1960s in their original form and again when relaunched by Michelin in 2009 after a seven-year gap in publishing.

Concept

The I-SPY books are a series of around forty small volumes that have sold hundreds of thousands of copies each, totalling sales of 25 million worldwide by 2010.^[1] Each book in the I-Spy series covers a different subject, such as I-SPY Cars, I-SPY on the Pavement, I-SPY Churches, I-SPY on a Train Journey, and so on. As children spot the objects listed, they record the event in the book and gain points, varying according to how unusual the sight. In the early years of the series, completed books could be sent to Charles Warrell, (known as Big Chief I-SPY) for a feather and order of merit. The children participating in the game were known as The I-SPY Tribe, and by 1953 the I-SPY Tribe had half a million members.^[1]

History of the series

The company was supposedly run by a Red Indian chief called Big Chief I-Spy. The original Big Chief I-Spy was Charles Warrell, a former head master who created I-Spy towards the end of his working life. He retired in 1956, but lived until 1995 when he died at the age of 106.^[1] After Warrell's retirement his assistant Arnold Cawthrow became the second Big Chief, and served in this role until 1978. For part of this time he also worked as an antiques dealer in Islington. He died in 1993, and is commemorated by a stone plaque placed on the outside of the Boatmen's Rooms, the house where he spent some of his last years in Deal, Kent.

The books were originally self-published in 1948^[2] by Charles Warrell but, after a brief period when they were published by the Daily Mail, they were taken over by the now defunct News Chronicle newspaper and based in the paper's building in Bouverie Street.^[3] The regular I-SPY column, which appeared in the News Chronicle, reverted to the Daily Mail when the News Chronicle ceased publication, and continued to appear until the late 1980s. The books have had various publishers over the years including the Dickens Press, a company set up to continue the book publishing interests of the 'News Chronicle', and Polystyle Publications, a publisher of children's comics.

The books became very popular, with print runs well into six figures. Big Chief I-Spy had a succession of assistants, usually known as "Hawkeye". In the early 1970s, this position was held by Ralph Mills. Earlier assistants included Max Heinz and John Tagholm. In the 1980s, following a short-lived third Big Chief, Robin Tucek, David Bellamy replaced Big Chief I-Spy as the person to whom completed books were sent, and the earlier Red Indian connections were quietly dropped.

Michelin Travel Publications acquired and published the series from 1991 until 2002 when they effectively ceased publication, there were ad-hoc sales after that date to clear stocks.

I-Spy books were relaunched by Michelin Travel Publications on Monday 7 December 2009, with 12 new titles and a further 12 in Spring 2010. The Bookseller announced the new launch in its 9 October 2009 issue with an interview with Michelin Commercial Director Ian Murray.^[4] Mr Murray confirmed that the initial 12 titles will include I Spy Birds, Cars, Trees, On a Car Journey and On a Train Journey. The new I-Spy titles are faithful to the original concept but are fully updated and include all new colour images.

The relaunch of the books and subsequent multiple expansions of the title list suggested that their popularity is being enjoyed by a new generation of children.

Early titles

The News Chronicle series included the following titles (as listed on the back of the booklets):

• 1. At the Seaside
• 2. On the Farm
• 3. History
• 4. On a Train Journey
• 5. Dogs
• 6. In the Country
• 7. At the Zoo – Animals
• 8. At the Zoo – Birds and Reptiles
• 9. In the Street
• 10. On the Road
• 11. The Sights of London
• 12. Horses and Ponies
• 13. Ships and Harbours
• 14. Boats and Waterways
• 15. Aircraft
• 16. Cars
• 17. The Army
• 18. The Wheel
• 19. Sport
• 20. People and Places
• 21. Musical Instruments
• 22. Men at Work – Building
• 23. Antique Furniture
• 24. The Unusual
• 25. Road Transport
• 26. Town Crafts
• 27. Country Crafts
• 28. The Sky
• 29. People In Uniform
• 31. Bridges

• Birds
• Wild Flowers
• Butterflies and Moths
• Wild Fruits and Fungi
• Trees
• Insects

Michelin titles

There are now 37 individual titles and three boxed sets (one of which is made up of 70 individual cards) published by Michelin.

• I-Spy Creepy Crawlies
• I-Spy Birds
• I-Spy Working Vehicles
• I-Spy Trees
• I-Spy Wild Flowers
• I-Spy On a Car Journey
• I-Spy Nature
• I-Spy Flags
• I-Spy On a Train Journey
• I-Spy Ancient Britain
• I-Spy Classic Cars
• I-Spy Cars

• I-Spy In the Garden
• I-Spy On the Motorway
• I-Spy At the Airport
• I-Spy Modern Britain
• I-Spy London
• I-Spy Green Britain
• I-Spy History
• I-Spy Camping
• I-Spy Car Badges
• I-Spy In the Street
• I-Spy Sports and Games

• I-Spy Edinburgh
• I-Spy Oxford
• I-Spy Lake District
• I-Spy Bath
• I-Spy In the Countryside
• I-Spy Every Vehicle on the Road
• I-Spy Scottish Nature

• I-Spy On a Ferry
• I-Spy London's Transport
• I-Spy On a Road Trip
• I-Spy On a Car Journey in France
• I-Spy Cotswolds
• I-Spy Explore London (126 page edition)

• I-Spy Out and About Car set - 70 cards
• I-Spy Car collection - 4 books
• I-Spy Nature Collection - 4 books

See also

• Collecting
• I spy, a children's game after which the I-Spy books were named
• I Spy With My Little Eye, a children's book based on the I spy game
• http://certsite.co.uk/ the new website for requesting certificates upon achieving 1,000 points in a book (the URL given in the books is dead as of July 2018)

References

• Prionessus lucifer
• Prioninae
• Prion (infectious agent)
• Prionodactylus
• Prionodon
• Prionopidae
• Prionotaceae
• Prions
• Prionsias de Rossa
• Prionus
• Prionus coriarius
• Prioperception
• Prior Analytics
• Prior-appropriation water rights
• Prior art
• Priorat
• Prior (disambiguation)
• Prior distribution
• Priorei
• Prioress
• Priories
• Priori Incantatem
• Prior Informed Consent
• Priorit
• Priorita