ALA Booklist (Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2000)

Once bitten by the I Spy series bug, kids can find relief only in another volume. The formula remains the same: Wick's double-page photographs feature a great number and variety of small objects. The accompanying rhymes name specific things that children can search for in the photos. According to an appended note, in answer to readers' pleas for more challenging puzzles, Marzollo has written new riddles to go with 12 double-page photo spreads reprinted from seven previous volumes in the series. One particularly effective spread in this book shows a group of translucent objects lit from the side and photographed from overhead. The rhyming riddle cannot be solved by looking at the objects alone; readers must learn to observe their shadows as well. Extra-credit riddles and an invitation for readers to write their own riddles add to the fun.

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2001)

This book uses twelve photographs from previous I Spy books and adds new "harder" riddles. There's nothing particularly challenging about the riddles themselves, however. The often clunky verses simply itemize obscure objects for readers to find in the meticulously arranged photos. Picture puzzle lovers won't care, though; they'll still delight in poring over these pages.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Fans of Walter Wick's previous delectable photographic feasts for the eyes will gobble up the I Spy Extreme Challenger!: A Book of Picture Riddles by Jean Marzollo. The volume includes a stunning spread of """"Odds and Ends"""" (from the original I Spy) and a composition of gorgeous antique playthings in """"The Toy Box Solution"""" (from I Spy Mystery). (Scholastic/Cartwheel, $13.95 40p ages 6-10 ISBN 0-439-19900-X; Sept.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 4-Wick and Marzollo's latest challenge follows the now-familiar format of rhyming riddles listing items to find in an accompanying double-page photograph. The illustrations have been gleaned from earlier "I Spy" titles but the verses are new. Each full-color, glossy picture is arranged perfectly so that shadow and space share the spotlight with the odds and ends pictured. The extra-credit riddles on the last few pages are a fun way to extend the experience. Another enjoyable collection that will be especially appreciated by students who have mastered the previous titles in the series.-Carrie Lynn Cooper, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.