I-Spy (Michelin)

The I-SPY books are spotters' guides written for British children, 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. A search engine set to look for images, with the words - "i-spy" News Chronicle Daily Mail Michelin, can illustrate that a range of styles was used.

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]

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 headmaster 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 (the initial four being At the Circus, Secret Codes, Dogs and In the Country), they were taken over by the 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 in 1960, 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.

The series was relaunched by Michelin in December 2009 with 12 new titles, followed by a further 12 in Spring 2010. The Bookseller announced the launch in October 2009 with an interview with Michelin Commercial Director Ian Murray.^[4] Murray confirmed that the initial 12 titles would 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.

I-Spy 6d Series

These followed the same basic format as the early spotter books, as well as keeping the concept of a Big Chief I-Spy, but were issued in a more standard portrait format 4" by 5" (13cm by 10cm). Pocket sized, with thinner covers, each I-Spy title had fifty pages or so of pen drawings and descriptive text. The Daily Mail dropped their involvement after the previous series, and the new look books were launched in conjunction with News Chronicle around 1951. By 1952 the first six of the new titles were in print, with four more planned. The series was in print until 1966, with older titles refreshed every so often and updated.

The News Chronicle was taken over by the Daily Mail in 1960 and closed, but the I-SPY books were by now so popular that the Mail decided to re-associate themselves with the publication once more. The covers were redesigned to remove the News Chronicle name, but the Daily Mail logo was only seen inside the books. Around 1963 even this was removed and the titles were simply published by the Dickens Press (who printed the Mail). With all these changes, up to five distinct editions of some titles exist.

I-Spy Colour Series

A companion range of 1/- books, the I-Spy Colour Series was the same size and actually had the same number of pages as their 6d cousins, but used better, thicker quality paper and some inside pages in full colour. Launched probably in 1952 with the first two titles, the colour series issued two new titles each year for a while. The colour books were all natural history subjects and the aim seems to have been to emulate similar but more expensive offerings from publishers like Ladybird and Observer's. Eight titles were issued with the News Chronicle name, and only with the last did they move into more familiar I-Spy territory with In The Garden. When the News Chronicle closed, four further colour titles followed under the Dickens Press name. These were new editions of titles which had originally appeared in the 6d black and white series but been discontinued. The last title came out in 1963 and the 12 books were never numbered. The listing below is the order in which the titles were released. The covers of some of the titles were later updated, and then appeared without the News Chronicle logo.

I-Spy Super Series

A larger format launched around 1965 that was very short lived.

Published from 1966 to 1972. Pricing was 1/- in 1966, 1/6 or 7.5p in 1970-71, 9p in 1971-72, 10p in 1972.

Published from 1973 to 1979. Pricing was 10p in 1973, 12p in 1973-74, 15p in 1974, 20p in 1976-77, 25p in 1977-78, 30p in 1977-79.

Published from 1980 to 1982. Pricing was 40p in 1982.

Published from 1983 to 1987. Price was 65p in 1983.

Michelin Original Launch (February 1991 to May 2000) Includes four "Mini Atlases" and a special colour edition for the opening of the Channel Tunnel (£1.25).

Michelin Relaunch (Dec 2009 to June 2013) Includes three boxed sets (one of which is made up of 70 individual cards). Price was £2.50 in 2011.

What can you spot? (2016 to 2018)

Do It! Score It! (2020)

• At the Airport Activity Book*
• At the Seaside Activity Book*
• In the Countryside Activity Book*
• On a Car Journey Activity Book*
• On a Train Journey Activity Book*

Spy It! Score It! (2020-present)

Spy It! Stick It! (2022-present)

• My First Farm*
• My First Minibeasts*
• My First Things that Go*
• My First Wildlife*

Spoof series released by HarperCollins in 2016.

• Signs and Instructions You Must Obey
• The UK While It Lasts
• At the School Gate
• Pets When Human Friendship Is Not Enough

• 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

• Website for requesting certificates upon achieving 1,000 points in a book (the URL given in the books is dead as of July 2018)