I Spy Island
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Absolutely full of fun pretty well sums up this first in a new series from Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet of Supertato fame.

Said Island loves nothing better than to play I Spy with its four friends Glove, Banana, Bottle and Bird who appear to reside thereon. It’s while engaged in such a game that the players notice an object that they suspect has recently washed up on Island’s beach.

Speculations start – legs emerging from its head, an upside-down bird, is it edible, a trouser press … but suddenly the thing does a flip and announces itself to be a very important, much sought after treasure chest on account of its priceless contents. Moreover, Treasure Chest really does not want to stay on Island, it desperately wants someone to find it.

Several days later however, there it still is, sad and in need of cheering up.

The Island suggests playing some games to jolly things up a bit and after some initial reluctance Treasure Chest is having the time of its life. So much so that it has a change of heart about the Island, until …

a fierce, scary storm suddenly rages. Where can the four friends go to stay safe until it blows over? And then what?

Let’s just say that one of the players has learned a very important life lesson during the turbulence and all concerned are now ready for another round or two of Island’s favourite game of I Spy …

I have no doubt young listeners will revel in the super silliness of Sue and Paul’s tale and be eager to pay another visit to that cheery place somewhere in the middle of the deep blue sea, ready for when the next mystery guest washes up.