My daughter wore this book out. She was about two when we got it, and for months it was the first thing she grabbed off the shelf. Not for the story (there isn’t one), but for the game. Every page is a hunt, and she treated it like a competition against herself.
Pip and Posy: Look and Say is an observation book by Axel Scheffler, the illustrator behind The Gruffalo. It’s part of the Pip and Posy series, but it plays differently from the story-based books. This one is about looking, finding, and naming things. For toddlers building their vocabulary, it’s one of the better tools on the shelf.
Best for ages 1-3. Older kids won’t get much from it, but for the target age, it holds attention well.
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How It Works
The book puts Pip and Posy in 12 illustrated scenes: at home, in the city, at the playground, in the snow, in nature. Each scene is packed with detail.
At the bottom of every spread, there’s a row of items, animals, or objects. Your child’s job is to find them in the bigger illustration above. A swing, a snail, a pigeon, a fork, an apple. Simple stuff for adults. For a two-year-old, it’s genuinely engaging.
The illustrations are clear and colorful without being cluttered. That matters with observation books. Some look-and-find titles cram so much onto a page that young kids get overwhelmed. Scheffler keeps it manageable. There’s enough to search for, but the scenes don’t feel chaotic.
Beyond the search game, it works as a vocabulary builder. Each scene introduces everyday objects in context. My daughter learned words like “watering can” and “wheelbarrow” from this book before she encountered them in real life.
About Axel Scheffler
Axel Scheffler is best known as the illustrator of The Gruffalo, but he’s illustrated over 200 books across his career. Born in Hamburg, Germany, he moved to England to study at the Bath Academy of Art and never left.
His collaboration with Julia Donaldson produced The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, Zog, and many more. But his solo work is substantial too. The Pip and Posy series (written by Camilla Reid, illustrated by Scheffler) started in 2011 and has grown to over 20 books. He also created the Flip Flap series of interactive board books and illustrated multiple Mother Goose nursery rhyme collections.
His illustration style is instantly recognizable: warm colors, expressive animal characters, and scenes full of small details that reward close looking. That last quality makes him a natural fit for an observation book like Look and Say.
The Pip and Posy Series
Pip (a rabbit) and Posy (a mouse) are best friends who deal with everyday toddler situations. The series has over 20 books now, written by Camilla Reid and illustrated by Scheffler.
The main story-based books each tackle a specific situation:
- The Super Scooter (2011) – Sharing
- The Little Puddle (2011) – Accidents happen
- The Big Balloon (2012) – Losing something precious
- The Snowy Day (2012) – Playing in winter
- The Scary Monster (2013) – Fear and comfort
- The Bedtime Frog (2015) – Sleeping away from home
- The New Friend (2016) – Jealousy and inclusion
There’s also a TV show (launched 2021 on Sky Kids and Milkshake) produced by Magic Light Pictures, the same company behind The Gruffalo animation. Two seasons so far.
The newer books include a “Where Are You?” felt-flap series for younger toddlers and a Big Book of Words for vocabulary building, similar in concept to Look and Say.
What’s Next
For more from this series, read our Pip and Posy: The New Friend review.
If your child likes Axel Scheffler’s illustration style, check our Gruffalo book review and Gruffalo books and activities guide. Our Julia Donaldson books guide covers the full Donaldson-Scheffler collection.
For more age-appropriate picks, browse our books for 3-year-olds guide.
About These Recommendations
I’m George. I read to my kids for 10+ years before they started reading on their own. My wife’s a therapist who helped pick books that actually matter for development. Everything on this site got tested on our family first.
FAQs
Ages 1-3. It works as a pointing-and-naming book for younger toddlers (around 10 months) and as a search-and-find game for 2-3 year olds. Kids over 4 will find it too easy.
No. Unlike the other Pip and Posy books, Look and Say is an observation and vocabulary book. Each page shows a detailed scene with items to find at the bottom. There’s no narrative plot.
The story-based books are written by Camilla Reid and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the same illustrator behind The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and many other Julia Donaldson books.
Over 20 books across multiple formats: the main picture book series, felt-flap “Where Are You?” books for younger toddlers, and activity/vocabulary books like Look and Say and Big Book of Words.
Yes. A Pip and Posy animated series launched in 2021, produced by Magic Light Pictures (the company behind The Gruffalo animation). It airs on Sky Kids, Milkshake, and is available on streaming platforms including Sensical TV and Plex.
For observation books, the “Where’s Spot?” series by Eric Hill and any of Axel Scheffler’s Flip Flap interactive books work well. For story-based toddler books about friendship, try the Elmer series by David McKee or Frank and Bert by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros.