The concept couldn't be simpler: Here's the picture, here's the label. This is a "_____." Look and name, look and name, all through the book. Some of the words seem a bit complicated for younger readers. I am not sure how many children will remember 'measuring spoons','flight attendant', 'propeller plane' etc

Best Word Book Ever - Scarry, Richard: 9780007935284 - AbeBooks Best Word Book Ever - Scarry, Richard: 9780007935284 - AbeBooks

The original edition contains over 1,400 labelled pictures and the book sold over seven million copies in 12 years. [1] [2]Following his great success with Best Word Book Ever, Richard Scarry went on to create a large number of other children's books in the same style with similar animals, a similar dominance of the art over the text and even similar names, including Best First Book Ever, Best Little Word Book Ever and his last book Richard Scarry's Biggest Word Book Ever. Various Best Ever books were adapted to video and a television series, " The Busy World of Richard Scarry," ran on Showtime from 1994 to 1997.

Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry - AbeBooks Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry - AbeBooks

Something that jarred me was the spelling of axe. I am so used to it being 'axe' that when I read 'ax' it made me question the reliability of the book, until I discovered it was an alternate spelling. Ukrainian Adaptation of Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever - Ukrainian-English-French, 2nd interactive Internet edition". InfoUkes-Ukrainian Publications . Retrieved 2008-01-03. Now when I realise that Best Little Word Book Ever was originally published in 1978, I (personally) do find it positive and for the 1970s still rather rare and avant-garde that in the as main characters featured Cat family, author and illustrator Richard Scarry also has the father doing his share of the housework, that for example, while Mother Cat is cooking, Father Cat is equally present in the kitchen washing dishes (with all family members later helping with shopping for groceries at the supermarket). I think the book starts off with a bit of a narrative (introfucing the family, following them as they go out shopping), then becomes more like a list of places and words associated with them, rather than about the family. It also ends in a bit of a rush.By 1980 the book had been edited to remove some of what became perceived as stereotypical roles for females and to update terminology. [6] At least 14 changes were made, including changing a male "policeman" to a female "police officer" on the front cover, and changing "handsome pilot" to "pilot" and "pretty stewardess" into "flight attendant." [6] I liked how the family are portrayed for the most part - it's always good to see the Daddy do some of the washing up! Ottawa, Ukrainian Publishing. Ukrainian-English-French adaptation of Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever - 2nd interactive Internet edition. I honestly don't think I'm asking for much when all I'm wanting out of a children's book is some semblance of connective tissue to hold the images and words included in the book together, or at least a discernible train of logic. A good example of a children's book with seemingly random words and definitions would be A Hold is to Dig, by Ruth Krauss, which is a book full of silly definitions, but the train of logic pulling you from one definition to the other always feels clear. It's organized, guided randomness, if that makes any sense at all. There's a lot of care, and thought that goes into each silly definition, and the next silly definition that comes after it This word book is just thoughtless, chaotic, lazy randomness. And it is everything I hate about the worst children's books have to offer.

Best Word Book Ever - Wikipedia

Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry was published in 1963 and became a best-selling children's book. Scarry had been illustrating children's books since 1950, but this was his first as both author and illustrator. The book also marked the beginning of the author's work on the "Best Ever" series. Publisher: Random House Children's Books (with Giant Little Golden Book), September 1999, Hardcover ( ISBN 0-307-15510-2) Richard Scarry's Best Little Word Book Ever is everything I hate about children's literature. I know the assumption is, that because something is for kids, the barrier of entry for the quality of a product doesn't need to be very high, since a thing doesn't usually need to be of particularly good quality to hold a child's attention, but I'm not a fan of this assumption.

This is a very cute picture book. It is mainly to boost a child's vocabulary and help them identify things in the world around them.

Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry | Waterstones

Secondarily, the book can help a child to read. The adult should not hit them over the head with this, but let it happen naturally as they become interested in print. None of this "Let's sound it out" business; wait until they take an interest, and guide them calmly, without that tension and whoop-de-do that so often comes from a parent when a child first start to look at words.

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Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting all children's authors to be as brilliant as Dr. Suess or Margaret Wise Brown. I do find many of the books I've read to my baby to be irritating, because they seemed to be written by mediocre writers who think stringing together random words that rhyme in a couplet makes for poetry, giving no other thought to structure, stress, or meter, because, you know, "it's for kids, and what do kids know, right?" But even those irritating little children's books don't attract my hatred the way this little word book has.