Scarry, Richard McClure

▪ 1995

      U.S. author and illustrator (b. June 5, 1919, Boston, Mass.—d. April 30, 1994, Gstaad, Switz.), captured the imagination of preschoolers with his oversized, highly detailed picture books, which featured a whimsical menagerie of characters, including such favourites as Huckle Cat, Sergeant Murphy, Mayor Fox, Farmer Goat, and especially Lowly Worm, a Tyrolean-hatted earthworm who slithered into numerous story lines. Scarry's 250 books appealed mainly to curious toddlers who were learning to talk and explore the world. Dog-eared and Scotch-taped copies of such best-sellers as Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever (1963), Richard Scarry's Please & Thank You Book (1973), and Richard Scarry's Find Your ABC's (1973) were tenderly preserved in homes and provided testimony to the enduring popularity of his works, which were translated into more than 30 languages. Scarry, a mediocre student who spent five years in high school, studied (1938-41) at the Boston Museum School before serving in the army (1941-46). He began illustrating books in 1947 and scored his first commercial success in 1963. Scarry's enticing books invited children to examine the minute details cluttered into many of his colourful illustrations, which were both informative and educational. His "busy" books and dictionaries sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, and in 1989 eight of his books made the list of the top 50 best-selling children's books of all time. In 1968 Scarry moved to Switzerland, where he continued to produce his delightful hardbacks. A cable-television animated series, "The Busy World of Richard Scarry," made its debut in 1994.

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