Can You Find Spot? (Where's Spot? - Eric Hill)

Member Name: arleek

Product:	Where's Spot? - Eric Hill
Date:	15/10/09 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Simple and Fun For Young Children

Disadvantages: You May Have To Read It Over And Over Again

This is a book we have taken from the library on a few occasions and both of my daughters (aged 11 months & 2 years) always enjoy looking at it.

The version we have at the moment is a small square board book.

The story is very simple. It starts off with Spot's Mummy saying it's Spot's dinner time and she wonders where he is because he is hiding. Then as you turn each page there is a flap to lift to see if Spot is hiding behind it.

First of all there's a door, but no Spot, just a big bear eating some honey. Then it's a Grandfather Clock, but no Spot, just a Snake. Every page is the same with Mummy Spot searching behind some item of furniture, she looks in a piano, under the stairs, in the wardrobe, under the bed, in a box, under a rug, but with no luck, all she finds are various other animals. She finally finds Spot hiding in a basket. On the final page you will find Spot eating up his dinner. Good boy, Spot.

Every page is very simply done with just a few words written in bold, such as 'Is he behind the door?'. And usually you'll just see Mummy Spot and the object mentioned in the text (until you lift the flap, then there is an animal as well).

The background is left white. I think this adds to the book's simplicity and the child is not distracted by detailed drawings. The aim of the book is to find Spot, and so this is all the child is interested in. So as you turn the pages, the child can hunt for Spot behind each flap.

Both of my children continuously enjoy turning the pages and lifting the flaps to see who is hiding behind them. My eldest likes to tell me what animal it is, and my youngest just likes to lift the flaps and turn the pages.

I think the book appeals to quite a broad age range because young babies who like looking at pictures will enjoy the simplicity of the illustrations and the short text. And older children who are starting to recognise animals will enjoy lifting the flaps and naming all the different creatures they can see. And perhaps even older children will like to read it to themselves because the text is so easy to read and quite repetitive.

I can highly recommend this lovely book for preschool children.

Price is £4.99 but currently on Amazon for £4.05

Summary: It's A Classic