Richard Scarry

By Lauren Thompson & John Johnson

Illustrator•One of best-loved author/illustrators

•A child at heart

•Born in 1919

•Illustrated 150+ books

•Wrote 300+ books

Illustrator•100 million + copies sold worldwide

•Published in 20+ languages

•Awarded the Lifetime Achievement

Award from The Society of Illustrators

in 2012

Why?•Scarry studied commercial art in NY

•Scarry showed portfolio to the Golden Books

editor and found his niche

•Scarry started out by illustrating books for

Golden Books

•Later on: started creating own characters

•His wife wrote books and he illustrated them

Process

•Medium: watercolor w/ blue pencil

•Used transparencies & watercolor on

cardboard

•Traced drawings onto acetate paper

•Typed out words, cut them out

& pasted them next to drawings

Process

•Cut & paste typing onto acetate

•Had to buy type (all authors in that time

period had to)

•Put circles on pages – to align

transparency with watercolor

Process

Comparing

Similarities

• Animal illustrations

• Several books contained short stories about the same topics

• Similar characters appear over and over within several books

Differences

• “Watch Your step Mr. Rabbit” is one continuous story

• The newest book is geared towards the emergent reader

Comparing

Similarities

• The animals use things that are used by humans in all the books

Differences

• Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever puts words with pictures

Classroom Connections

• Great for emergent readers

• Kindergarten/1st Grade Classroom

• Wonderful tool for ELL students

Why Use These Books?

• Teaches vocabulary in a fun way

• Children can relate

• Realistic yet exciting

Bibliography

• Richard Scarry. (2011). Retrieved from Random House Kids: http://www.randomhousekids.com/authors-illustrators/detail/520#.UlBxSr9G5G4

• Richard Scarry. (2013). Retrieved from FamousAuthors.org: http://www.famousauthors.org/richard-scarry

• Scarry, R. (1963). Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever. New York: Golden Press Western Publishing Company, Inc.

• Scarry, R. (1968). Richard Scarry's What do People do all Day? New York, New York: Random House.• Scarry, R. (1971). Richard Scarry's Great Big Air Book. New York: Random House.• Scarry, R. (1972). Richard Scarry's Hop Aboard! Here We Go! New York: Golden Press Western

Publishing Company, Inc.• Scarry, R. (1974). Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things that go. New York: Golden Press

Western Publishing Company, Inc.• Scarry, R. (1976). Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever. New York: Golden Press Western Publishing

Company, Inc.• Scarry, R. (1984). The Best Mistake Ever! And Other Stories. New York: Random House.• Scarry, R. (1991). Richard Scarry's Watch Your Step, Mr. Rabbit. New York: Random House.