I-Spy back in back seat fashion

I-Spy, which challenges everyone in the car - both parents and youngsters - to pick out objects with names that start with a particular letter of the alphabet has been brought back by Michelin.

Since December 2009 a series of 27 I-Spy booklets has been printed and another 13 titles are about to bring the total to 50. They all kick off the with opening line: "I spy with my little eye".

The pocket-sized I-Spy books contain up to 200 themed colour pictures, which observers have to spot during a single trip. The aim is to tick them off and collect points, winning an in-car game. In Britain, children who notch up 1000 points are eligible to join the I-Spy club.As yet, the books are not available here but Michelin Australia is showing interest.

 "From an Australian point of view, we've got no immediate plans. But they are something that does look interesting," says Jane Rowe of Michelin."It goes look interesting. We're going to look at the feasibility of bringing the books into Australia."  The books have become quite sophisticated and some of the new favourites are 'I-Spy the Night Sky' and 'I-Spy Minerals, Rocks and Fossils'.

The emphasis is obviously on Europe, with 'I-Spy Paris' and 'I-Spy Kings and Queens' both rating well. The two newest titles, both aimed at the UK, are the 'I-Spy Book of Facts', which will be useful to quiz lovers, and 'I-Spy Football Grounds', which focusses on 115 soccer grounds in England and Scotland.

The other new titles are: Castles and Battles, Cambridge, People and Places, Mini World Atlas, Isle of Wight, High Weald and Great Britain.The best way to track down the latest I-Spy books is through Amazon.com.