Richard Scarry’s “Best Word Book Ever” was one of the first books I ever read that wasn’t in English – mine was the French “Le Livre des Mots”. My mom learned French in high school and college, and did what she could to keep it up. One of the things she did was read to me in French. It’s part of what got me taking French in school too. That book is one of the handful I still have from the first house I remember living in.

Books illustrated/written by Richard Scarry

12 facts about Richard Scarry

I just had a quick look through my book. It’s from before some of the cultural changes were made – it still features a “cowboy”, an “indian”, and several “traditional” gender roles that have since been updated in newer publications.

This book is *not* in the Little Free Library. I’m gonna hang onto this one for a good long while!