Q&A with Walter Wick
Get to know Walter Wick, Bestselling Author & Photographer of Can You See What I See? : Once Upon A Time
Q: What was it like to read, or reread, all the most famous and most loved fairy tales as an adult?
A: As a kid, I was a nonreader! I wasn't as steeped in the fairy-tale world as some children's book authors are. So I had to catch up on what the stories were about. For example: I was turned off by the title "Puss in Boots" because it wasn't something that sparked my imagination-but when I read the story I realized how clever it was and I realized how clever and imaginative it was!
Q: How did you pick which fairy tales would appear in Once Upon a Time?
A: When I started to really read the original version of these stories I realized how much a part of the realm of the imagination they are and I felt very attached to them. So it was then a matter of HOW will I do it and I was influenced by what I felt I could do photographically. I would read the stories and I would say, "Oh, that's a scene I can do!" I know what elements I need for that and I think it would be fun to build and/or a challenge to build. I read through lots of stories and some were based on what was possible-but for all of them, I had to like the story, too.
Q: At that point, did you think about rhymes?
A: I would think, yes, there are enough elements in this story that I could put into the rhyme-and that the rhyme could have the flavor of the story. I could collage together the elements of the story.
Q: So for you, Once Upon a Time is a mix of fantasy and reality?
A: Even though it is a fantasy world or a fairy-tale scene-there are elements based in reality. I think that is one of the fun parts of the book! That instead of it being all reality based with the toys and dominoes and game pieces that you often find in my books, this one goes into a fairy-tale world and goes away from the toy-based world. And yet you still see glimpses of things you KNOW to be real: the dolls in Beauty and the Beast, the miniature house in Goldilocks, the plastic toys in Hansel & Gretel.
Q: Tell us a little about how you begin to design a scene.
A: The process itself was more elaborate than any other book I've done. I used a pen tablet on the computer to make the storyboards (in color), so for the first time I was actually pre-visualizing what the color schemes were going to be! In the past I used to wing it-and I could get stuck for days. But this time I took an approach to design the pictures in more detail and then we made cardboard mock-ups and further enhanced the design and made changes along the way.
For instance, I was thinking about Hansel & Gretel-I liked the idea of the woodlands and the gingerbread house that they come across. I found these two plastic dolls, only two inches tall, but they looked like Hansel and Gretel to me, so I just took a digital photograph of them and drew a picture around them, and I had a layout for H&G! Then I had to build the trees, which were hand-carved individually. We found dried decorative floral material that we could use as the branches. And then we built the gingerbread house.
Q: Did you have to build more for this book than previous ones because of the fairy-tale/fantasy element?
A: I had to build more probably for this book than any other book (except for Treasure Hunt-and I would say, this one is even more). In Treasure Hunt there were a number of pre-made objects that I could draw from. But for Once Upon a Time we built all these castles from scratch-four or five castles! And we had to build characters. For the first time we got a costumer to make custom-made doll clothes.
Q: For this book you used a process of "layering" scenes. Can you explain how that process works?
A: The castle in Puss in Boots on the hill was one set, the gate in the foreground road was another set, and they were photographed separately and then layered together using a computer. But very, very little is generated digitally.
Q: Would you say this ties in to the illusions in your past books (for which you are so famous).
A: I could say that Beauty and the Beast was a composite of three separate shots, but you are still faced with the fact that there is real water. We made a real working miniature fountain and real splashes! The computer was mostly to deal with things like depth of field-for example-so I could make things appear that they went on forever.
Contributor: Scholastic Inc.
For further information about Walter Wick, visit his website www.walterwick.com
Reviews
Can You See What I See? Cool Collections: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve
Walter Wick
This is the latest in award-winning photographer Walter Wick's "Can You See What I See?" series of eye-popping puzzles for children of all ages. Complex photographic still-lifes spill across the pages of this over-sized hardcover book, challenging the reader to sort out hundreds of images competing for visual attention. Each picture is organized according to subject matter. For instance, there is one spread with dozens of stuffed animals, another with hundreds of shiny beads piled in different containers, and one that consists of row after row of tiny toy cars. For each picture, Wick lists more than twenty specific items to find, and the search for individual tiny pieces becomes nearly obsessive. It is easy to imagine this book giving a restless child something fascinating to contemplate for hours, while at the same time training him/her to look carefully at details and sort out differences among similar objects. Since the pictures contain so many child-friendly objects collected by the author, this book might also inspire youngsters to begin their own collection. 2004, Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, $13.95. Ages all. Reviewer: Michele Tremaine (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-439-61772-3
ISBN: 978-0-439-61772-7
Can You See What I See? Dream Machine: A Picture Adventure to Search and Solve
Walter Wick
Walter Wick has created a whole new set of pictures to examine and explore in this latest book in his "Can You See What I See?" series. Each page is a full-spread photograph accompanied by a poem revealing things to find in the picture. Rather than having disconnected pictures, Wick arranges his pictures to flow from one to the next. He starts with "Bedtime," "Dreamtime," "Magical Moon" and continues on until the "Dream Machine" is revealed, and "Wake Up!" and "Rise and Shine" are the final two spreads of the book. The pictures range from the recognizable room of a child to completely alien and fanciful landscapes. The items in each picture, despite their haphazard appearance, are carefully arranged to create a series of beautiful landscapes. Children of all ages will enjoy reading this book and looking for the items listed in the verses. 2003, Scholastic, $13.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Amie Rose Rotruck (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Children's Choices, 2004; International Reading Association; United States
ISBN: 0-439-39950-5
ISBN: 978-0-439-39950-0
Can You See What I See? The Night Before Christmas: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve
Walter Wick
Taking inspiration from the classic poem by Clement C. Moore, Wick-- photographer of the "I Spy" books--has created scenes in which the reader is given a list of items to find. The title of the list for each spread is a phrase taken from Moore's poem. Much creativity has gone into the composition of each scene. In "New Fallen Snow" the objects are displayed on a white quilt with a Christmas snow globe in the center. The page of "visions of sugarplums" has gingerbread men and women and other cutout cookies, candy canes, ribbon candy and assorted sweets that appear to be floating in air. There is a rhythm and some rhyming to the list of items. Some objects are easy to find, others more difficult. The photographs of the toys and Christmas decorations are clear and eye-catching. Astute viewers might even find a toy just like one of their own. Fans of the "I Spy" books will be happy to spend Christmas afternoon with this book. 2005, Scholastic, $13.99. Ages 4 to 9. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature).
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Buckeye Children's Book Award, 2007; Nominee; Grades 3-5; Ohio
ISBN: 0-439-76927-2
ISBN: 978-0-439-76927-3
Can You See What I See?: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve
Walter Wick
The sentence on the cover of this book perfectly describes what is found inside. It says, "Picture puzzles to search and solve." If you like the books in the "I Spy" series, you will love this book. The same photographer for the "I Spy" series created this book. It will entertain young children because of the magical pictures, while charming the older children because of the complex puzzles involved in each of the photographs. Each picture puzzle is accompanied by a poem that lists objects to find on that page. The end of the poem gives another sort of puzzle, such as a matching game, finding the differences between a picture and a mirror, cryptic games, or a maze. The book is intellectually challenging, and will be loved for years to come. This brilliant book is certain to become a classic of its kind. Without the puzzles, the sharp, clear, pictures will keep children and adults occupied and entertained for hours. The puzzles add an additional element to the book. Walter Wick is a genius because of his brilliant arrangements of objects, light and color. 2002, Scholastic, $13.95. Ages 4 to 12. Reviewer: Nicole Peterson (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2003; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Choices, 2003; International Reading Association; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, January 2002; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, March 2002; Cahners; United States
Curriculum Tools:
Link to Discussion Guides at Scholastic
ISBN: 0-439-16391-9
ISBN: 978-0-439-16391-0
Can You See What I See?: Seymour and the Juice Box Boat
Walter Wick
Seymour with his cart full of tools moves through a colorful array of photographs looking for objects he needs to make a boat. He finds an orange juice carton, scissors, a small saw, a ladder, a drinking straw, an anchor, and a sail. Then he draws a diagram to show the pieces of the boat and how they will be put together. A coat of paint on the outside and his name printed in large letters finish his craft. A toy tow truck with thread and a paper clip pull the boat to the water. Each double page spread features a different view of the playroom with interesting displays of toys and creative materials. Part of each page has certain objects pictured individually on a side insert with the challenge for the reader to find them in the picture. Most of the objects are relatively obvious, making this book a good choice for young children. Although all of the items that Seymour uses to make his boat are in the pictures, they are not usually the highlighted items. This offers youngsters the opportunity to go back through the book to find the things used for making the boat. This book is part of the "Can You See What I See" series. 2004, Scholastic, $8.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-439-61778-2
ISBN: 978-0-439-61778-9
A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder
Walter Wick
The photographer Walter Wick (of "I Spy" fame, and who has had photos published in magazines such as Newsweek, Discover, and Psychology Today) has filled this book with beautiful, and technically impressive pictures of water. It is a book for the young scientific observer, who wants to learn all about water's properties in its various (gaseous, liquid, solid) states, and about its interactions with other substances (light, for example). Wick himself is intrigued by old science books, primarily those written for children about 100 years ago, and many of the experiments that he suggests in this book are modifications of experiments found in those books. For example, he describes how to experiment with minimal surfaces (by dipping wire frames in to soap bubble solutions), and how to produce your own rainbow (using a glass of water in a sunny window). This book should provide specific ideas to teachers of young (ages about 3 to 6) children; the experiments are short (in terms of the time needed), and don't require any equipment that can't be found in the average house or daycare center. 1997, Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Karen Saxe (Children's Literature).
Talented and celebrated photographer Walter Wick has created a work that freezes the magical forces of nature in stunning photographs. Infinitely detailed snowflakes, a drop of indigo dye dispersing in clear water, a splash of crystal water caught, suspended and silver. The text teaches simple science lessons that may not tell the whole story, but they clearly whet the appetite for learning. A magnificent selection that connects learning with amazement. 1997, Scholastic, $16.94. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-590-22197-3
ISBN: 978-0-590-22197-9
I Spy a School Bus
Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
This is a Level I book from the "Scholastic's Readers" series. Pages are filled with colorful objects where the reader must match the pictures from the riddle to the pictures in the photograph. It is a delightful way to learn rhyming sounds. It also draws the child's attention to words that have the same letters in them. Children can read this book on their own or share it with a friend. The author organizes this book in such a way that it offers many opportunities for a child to achieve reading success. The last 8 pages of the book have specific directions for the child to follow in identifying specific words, and on the last page, there is a timed activity to aid the reader in sentence fluency. This book is not only an excellent way to build your child's sight word vocabulary, but also to build your child's knowledge of phonemes. 2003, Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, $3.99. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Kathie M. Josephs (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-439-52473-3
ISBN: 978-0-439-52473-5
I Spy Lightning in the Sky
Jean Marzollo
Illustrated by Walter Wick
Many children have amused themselves with the "I Spy" game. One player says, "I spy with my little eye..." and prompts the others to find a particular object he or she sees, giving clues until someone guesses what it is. This game has morphed into a series of books by Scholastic. In this paperback, which is from Level 1 of the "Scholastic Reader" series, each rhyming riddle directs youngsters to find a handful of objects hidden in a photo; for example, "I spy an arrow, a pail on a string, a furry groundhog, and a tire swing." Each object is joined by words that identify it. Beginning readers will enjoy locating the objects while spotting many additional interesting items in the photos. The last few riddles zero in on specific object/word combinations included on previous pages; for example, one riddle asks readers to find two words that end with the letters "NG." A short "Fluency Fun" test helps parents determine what their child has learned from the book. The four-level "Scholastic Readers" series is designed to match a child's interests and reading skills at various stages. Books in Level 1 feature simple words and short sentences composed of words that youngsters can sound out, a great way to hone phonics skills and learn new words. The higher levels are progressively more challenging. To many youngsters, playing "I Spy" while reading this book will spell an irresistible combination. 2005 (orig. 1999), Cartwheel Books/Scholastic Inc, $3.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Robbin Gould (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-439-68052-2
ISBN: 978-0-439-68052-3
I Spy Little Animals
Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
Like the popular books for older kids, toddlers are challenged to find a variety of objects within a picture. It will not be too difficult, since young kids do not seem to miss details, but the book should be fun for kids and their reading partners. 1998, Scholastic, $6.99. Ages 1 up. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-590-11711-4
ISBN: 978-0-590-11711-1
I Spy Little Book
Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
Crystal clear photos with tot-appealing contrast will have little ones trying to pick paperclips off the pages as they scan each delightful jumble of related objects. Scaled down in size and concept, this board book version of the popular series uses collages to build vocabulary, teach colors, numbers, classification skills and provide hours of guessing game fun. 1997, Scholastic, $12.95 and $6.99. Ages 3 to 5. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino (Children's Literature).
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award Winner 1998 Babies and Toddlers United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Texas Reading Club, 2003; Texas
ISBN: 0-590-34129-4
ISBN: 978-0-590-34129-5
I spy little Christmas
Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
With a Christmas theme, this board book is just right for little kids who enjoy picking out and naming objects. Marzollo's rhyming text is accompanied by pictures that show mouth-watering cookies, snowy winter scenes, and lots of other interesting things. Wick's photography makes the most of the medium by providing depth and a sense of motion in some of the pictures. After completing the book, kids are asked to go back and find more objects in the pictures. 1999, Scholastic, $6.99. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-439-08331-1
ISBN: 978-0-439-08331-7
I Spy Little Numbers
Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
As in the "I Spy Books" for older kids, objects are placed within a scene and little ones are asked to find them. The numbers one through nine are featured, and all of the objects in a related photograph in some way reflect the number. This allows teachers, parents and others to extend the lesson by counting objects or parts of them--four fork tines, four eggs on a guitar, four buttons on the fisherman and so on. After the number and counting exercise, kids are challenged to go back to the pictures and find specified items. 1999, Cartwheel/Scholastic, $6.99. Ages 2 to 5. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Texas Reading Club, 2003; Texas
ISBN: 0-590-68714-X
ISBN: 978-0-590-68714-0
I Spy School Days: A Book of Picture Riddles
Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo's creations exist only as long as it takes to photograph them. In their newest collaboration, I Spy: School Days the assemblages include collections of preschool/kindergarten blocks and other building toys and an assortment of miniatures placed, a la Venn diagrams, within hula hoops. Ms. Marzollo's riddles identify specific items "spy-ers" can locate. Extra riddles, suggestions for classroom activities, and the story behind this volume's origin wrap up the intriguing treat. Open it up, one spread per week, in a classroom window or on a hallway or library bulletin board so that youngsters passing by can seek the items Ms. Marzollo--or a class riddler--pinpoints. 1995, Scholastic, $12.95. Ages 5 up. Reviewer: Dr. Beverly Kobrin (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, July 1995; Cahners; United States
ISBN: 0-590-481355
ISBN: 978-0-590-48135-9
I Spy Spooky Night: A Book Of Picture Riddles
Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
Jean Marzollo adds to her series with I Spy Spooky Night. Marzollo's riddles walk children through a haunted house where they search for objects (everything from a skeleton key to a palindrome) which she's hidden in rhymes ("I spy four pumpkins, a ruler, a bat, / Eight pine cones, a ladder, three acorns, a cat"). Photographs by Walter Wick are perfect for setting a spooky mood, but safe at the same time. 1996, Scholastic, $12.95. Ages 3 to 10. Reviewer: Susie Wilde (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K--Grade 6, 12th Edition, 1999; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, September 1996; Cahners; United States
ISBN: 0-590-481371
ISBN: 978-0-590-48137-3
I Spy Super Challenger!: A Book Of Picture Riddles
Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
Crystal clear photos with tot-appealing contrast will have little ones trying to pick paperclips off the pages as they scan each delightful jumble of related objects. Scaled down in size and concept, this board book version of the popular series uses collages to build vocabulary, teach colors, numbers, classification skills and provide hours of guessing game fun. 1997, Scholastic, $12.95 and $6.99. Ages 3 to 5. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K--Grade 6, 12th Edition, 1999; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
ISBN: 0-590-34128-6
ISBN: 978-0-590-341288
I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles
Jean Marzollo
Hand Jean Marzollo's I Spy to where's-Waldo enthusiasts or their ilk, they'll find themselves as entranced by the sites of the objects they seek as the hunt itself. For example, they must spy a "spaghetti-sauce face" and a "snowcapped place" on a bulletin board encrusted with snapshots, children's art, and similar pinups; and a "small silver jack" and a "blue thumbtack" hidden among the miniatures and curios ensconced in twenty cubbyholes. The toys, party disguises, and other assorted objects in Walter Wick's margin-to-margin, sharply focused photographs seem life-size from lap distance, spread as they are across two pages of this oversize (9 1/4- x 12 1/4-inch) volume. Besides being a source of searches, the objects make superb story starters for otherwise uninspired writers. 1992, Scholastic, $12.95. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Dr. Beverly Kobrin (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K-Grade 6, Tenth Edition, 1993; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
ISBN: 0-590-45087-5
ISBN: 978-0-590-45087-4
Walter Wick's Optical Tricks
Walter Wick
Walter Wick's cleverly arranged assemblages make viewers count, compare, or turn the book upside down to see carved shapes suddenly pop out. Author notes at the back confirm our guesses or tell how Wick put these optical illusions together. All in all, a fine family read-aloud-and-look book and a guaranteed repeat read for children who want to figure out how he did it. 1998, Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, $13.95. Ages 5 to 11. Reviewer: Susan Hepler, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
If you have grown weary of all the books searching for the little man in the red-striped hat, this will be a welcome change. Math and science teachers looking for a new way to introduce optical illusions will want to include this title in their classroom collection. The author has presented the reader with thirteen tricks to be solved. Additional quandaries will be found on the inside cover, front cover, back cover and title page. This is an excellent, although unusual, addition to the upper elementary and middle school media center collections for math and science. It also makes a great gift title for the inquisitive adolescent reader. 1998, Scholastic, $13.95. Ages 8 to 14. Reviewer: Joyce Rice (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 1999; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 1998; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States
Capitol Choices, 1998; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
The Children's Literature Choice List, 1999; Children's Literature; United States
Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 1998; American Library Association-Booklist; United States
Fanfare Honor List, 1998; Horn Book; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, 1998; United States
Los Angeles' 100 Best Books, 1998; IRA Children's Literature and Reading SIG and the Los Angeles Unified School District; United States
Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000; H.W. Wilson; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005; H.W. Wilson; United States
Parent's Guide to Children's Media, 1999; Parent's Guide to Children's Media, Inc.; United States
Notable Books for Children, 1999; American Library Association-ALSC; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, June 1998; Cahners; United States
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 1999; American Library Association-YALSA; United States
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002; California Department of Education; California
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, September 1998; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal: Best Books, 1998; Cahners; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year Winner 1998 United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, 2001; Nominee; Louisiana
Maine Student Book Award, 1999-2000; Nominee; Maine
ISBN: 0-590-22227-9
ISBN: 978-0-590-22227-3
Added 10/27/06
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