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What Do People Do All Day? Hardcover – March 12, 1968

by Richard Scarry (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 438 ratings
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Illus. in full color. Shows and tells what busy people do every day to build houses, sail ships, fly planes, keep house, and grow food.
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  1. Reading age
    2 - 4 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    64 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 2
  5. Dimensions
    9.5 x 0.38 x 12.75 inches
  6. Publisher
    Random House Books for Young Readers
  7. Publication date
    March 12, 1968
  8. ISBN-10
    0394818237
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0394818238
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Positively guaranteed to please any small child."--The New Yorker.  

From the Inside Flap

Illus. in full color. Shows and tells what busy people do every day to build houses, sail ships, fly planes, keep house, and grow food.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Books for Young Readers; Abridged edition (March 12, 1968)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394818237
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394818238
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 - 4 years, from customers
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 2
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.5 x 0.38 x 12.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 438 ratings

About the author

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Richard Scarry

Richard Scarry

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Richard Scarry is one of the world's best-loved children's authors EVER! Generations of children all over the world have grown up spending hours poring over his books filled with all the colorful details of their daily lives. No other illustrator has shown such a lively interest in the words and concepts of early childhood. For himself, whenever he was asked how old he was, Scarry would always put up one hand and laugh, saying, "five!"

In his extraordinary career, Richard Scarry illustrated over 150 books, many of which have never been out of print. His books have sold over 100 million copies around the world, and are currently published in over twenty languages. Richard Scarry, Jr., also an illustrator, carries on his father's work today under the name of Huck Scarry. He was posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Society of Illustrators in 2012.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
438 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book has great topics to cover for little kids, with great illustrations and detailed content. They also appreciate the writing quality as not too big or too small. Readers enjoy the humor and memorable characters. However, some customers feel the book is an abridged version that's missing several stories. Opinions differ on the story flow, with some finding it dynamic and colorful, while others say it's lacking.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Children's booksIllustrationsComplexityWriting qualityHumorCharactersStory flowRevised version
98 customers mention "Children's books"98 positive0 negative

Customers find the book great topics to cover for little kids. They say the story has a light story line and lots of opportunity for readers to interpret and re-interpret the story. They also say it's not boring for parents, and that it has tons of things to look at and identify on the pages. Readers also say Richard Scarry has s tremendous gift for telling stories that, while simple in plot, are rich. They find the stories excellent for little people learning about the world beyond, and say it’s a perfect starting point for children working on new words or phrases.

"...It is a very charming process for young child -- my son loves the journey of the wheat...." Read more

"...Richard Scarry's "What Do People Do All Day?" is great for kids and the adults that read it with them...." Read more

"...is a great deal of detail in the illustrations, making it a fun book for 2 year olds to skim over the high points, or for four and five year olds to..." Read more

"This book will teach your children the basics of plumbing, mechanics, farming, and electricity...." Read more

54 customers mention "Illustrations"51 positive3 negative

Customers find the illustrations in the book great.

"Richard Scarry, aside form being a masterful, playful illustrator, has a knack for explaining things in a visual way...." Read more

"...children's classic that's genuinely educational and is beautifully illustrated...." Read more

"...There is a great deal of detail in the illustrations, making it a fun book for 2 year olds to skim over the high points, or for four and five year..." Read more

"...gift for telling stories that, while simple in plot, are rich in visual detail so that, having been read aloud once, they provide hours of..." Read more

16 customers mention "Complexity"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book detailed, showing how many jobs are done and dissected step by step. They also appreciate the simple writing style and labelled pictures.

"...In this book, jobs are dissected step by step and are done by people -- not one big black box and thus the young reader easily see how things work...." Read more

"...kids about various occupations are thoughtful and contain an astonishing amount of detail, and the characters in Scarry's books are always wonderful..." Read more

"...I like this book as a parent since it shows how things work and that houses, letters, food, clothes, wood, electricity, roads, and clean water do..." Read more

"...She loves the story about the bread. There is so much detail on every page.This is an abridged version, though...." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book good. They also say the text is not too big and not too small, and that the illustrations, themes, and words are all good.

"...a great start in reading by seeking out and buying these older, well-written, not -necessarily - politically - correct books...." Read more

"...The big book has great illustrations and short text on each page. perfect for young minds...." Read more

"...The artwork is colorful and light hearted.Text is not too big and not too small...." Read more

"...The book is large and every page is packed with things to point at and talk about...." Read more

8 customers mention "Humor"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the humor in the book enjoyable and appealing to all.

"...This book fascinates and charms with it's subtle humor and cleverly drawn explanations of everyday life." Read more

"...His lively, fill-up-the-page artwork and classic sense of humor have endeared him to children for over fifty years...." Read more

"...Scarry's book has charming illustations with some sweet and funny little background stories, but the content is dated...." Read more

"...but is informative and enjoyable for the curious, and the funny pictures appeal to all...." Read more

6 customers mention "Characters"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters in the book memorable and wonderful.

"...contain an astonishing amount of detail, and the characters in Scarry's books are always wonderful..." Read more

"...Richard Scarry's stories and characters are classics of childhood...." Read more

"...It is huge in size, and each page is so filled with little characters and things, that a small child could look at the wonderful illustrations on..." Read more

"...It's so educational, and the characters are priceless!..." Read more

25 customers mention "Story flow"17 positive8 negative

Customers are mixed about the story flow. Some mention that the stories are great, captivating, and filled with lots of action. However, others say that the book is missing many of the stories and original story pictures.

"...Things are flowing, very dynamic. He got a much better sense of how things are handled and where they come from and where they go...." Read more

"...The story is always educational and there is always a message: to protect the earth, the animals, nature...." Read more

"...pages, whereas the "new" 1979 edition is 63 pages with 6 of the original stories missing and it no longer has the the inside covers that show the..." Read more

"...His lively, fill-up-the-page artwork and classic sense of humor have endeared him to children for over fifty years...." Read more

7 customers mention "Revised version"0 positive7 negative

Customers are disappointed with the revised version of the book. They say it's an abridged version that is missing several chapters.

"...I'm bummed that this is not the book I remember and I am not as excited to be giving it as a gift...." Read more

"...The only thing that bothers me is that it's abridged...." Read more

"...I then discovered it was abridged. I was pretty upset. I will be sending the book back and looking for an unabridged version...." Read more

"...However, it loses a star because it's the abridged version. If my memory serves correctly, this is less than half of the original book...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Clover
5.0 out of 5 stars delightful book for curious children (and adults)
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2011
Verified Purchase
Richard Scarry, aside form being a masterful, playful illustrator, has a knack for explaining things in a visual way.
Three examples of favorite stories in this book that you may really like too:

* The ocean liner with all its cabins, cranes, steering, rudder-controls, and storage holds. The whole thing is drawn as a cut-through so we can see all the goings-on inside. The flowers delivered to mom's cabin. The boo-boo cared for in the sick room. The humor everywhere.

* Building a house: The little boy Huckle, when he's missing playmates, watches the empty lot next door turn into a place of excavation machines digging, then waterlines, sewer pipes, walls are built, wires, floors, heating system, roof and 11 different phones installed ... a house is taking shape before his eyes (and ours). After the last painter is done, and paid, a quadruple-decker bus pulls up with a BIG family of playmates for Huckle.

* Another favorite: Forestry: from seeding and saplings to logging, floating logs on the river, carpentry and papermaking... and oh, all those delicious and intricate gears and levers that transfer the power of the water wheel to all the chipping, hauling and sawing machines inside the saw mill! Follow the little arrows, and see which wheel turns which way!

My young curious lego-builder has loved this book since age 3 or 4, and still does.
This book fascinates and charms with it's subtle humor and cleverly drawn explanations of everyday life.
2 people found this helpful
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ZZ
5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than busy town
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2013
Verified Purchase
My son (2 yo) started with Busy Town and liked it a lot. But when he read this one, Busy town becomes of less priority. Because this one is not only just one page per scenario but one story per job. Things are flowing, very dynamic. He got a much better sense of how things are handled and where they come from and where they go. This book makes Busy town(also very good, of course) more like a word book. There are certainly some jobs that people no longer do in such old fashion ways. However it is a plus for us. Because, although more sophisticated machines are invented and you can just push a button, the basic mechanism are still the same -- and with machine done all the jobs you as people have not idea how all the things are done. In this book, jobs are dissected step by step and are done by people -- not one big black box and thus the young reader easily see how things work. For example, in "where bread comes from", the author goes from how wheat is harvested to the baking bread in an oven. It is a very charming process for young child -- my son loves the journey of the wheat. Not just buying bread flour in grocery and dumping things in the bread machine -- although he also loves looking into the bread machine and looking at the robotic arm swirling everything:)
One person found this helpful
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Robert I. Hedges
5.0 out of 5 stars Childhood Classic Stands The Test Of Time
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
Long a favorite in my family, Richard Scarry's "What Do People Do All Day?" is great for kids and the adults that read it with them. This is a truly exceptional children's classic that's genuinely educational and is beautifully illustrated. The short vignettes that teach kids about various occupations are thoughtful and contain an astonishing amount of detail, and the characters in Scarry's books are always wonderful (my personal are Huckle, the kitten; Mortimer, the mouse; Captain Reddy, the pilot; Doctor Lion; and of course everyone's favorite annelid, Lowly Worm).

This is a classic for a much deserved reason: it's simply one of the best and endearing children's books ever written!
One person found this helpful
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Heather Franklin
5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed, educational, fun!
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2010
Verified Purchase
I bought this book several months ago for my 3 year old son, but the first time my dad read it, he sat there and finished it long after my son's attention span expired and he ran off to do other things - it's that interesting! There is so much to look at and talk about on each page, and it is especially fascinating for those mechanically minded children who like to know how things work. There is a great deal of detail in the illustrations, making it a fun book for 2 year olds to skim over the high points, or for four and five year olds to really explore. My son loves trains and asks me to read "The Train Trip" to him often. I highly recommended this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Scarry never fails to please
Reviewed in Canada on April 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
As always, Scarry never fails to please! Quality, perfection, clarity, his books are always an excellent choice! I bought his books for my children, my nieces & nephews and now my grandbabies. We have both recycled and purchased both new and used... Scarry's books will never "go out of style" or become outdated, quality language skills never do! Toys are great: books are not competitors, they are essential companions!
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J.S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Mein allerschönstes Buch vom Backen, Bauen und Flugzeug fliegen (deutscher Titel)
Reviewed in Germany on September 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
Ein wunderbares Buch mit liebevollen Zeichnungen und Geschichten.
Verschiedene Alltagssituationen werden kindgerecht erklärt.

Leider gibt es das Buch nicht mehr auf deutsch, daher habe ich meinem Kind die englische Fassung geholt.
Aktuell erzähle ich ihm nur was er auf den Bildern sieht bzw er erzählt es mittlerweile mir und man kann das Buch auch vorlesen, der Text ist sehr einfach und kann ohne große Schwierigkeiten direkt beim Vorlesen übersetzt werden, englische Grundkenntnisse reichen vollkommen aus.

Vllt kann man das Buch dann später auch zum englisch lernen verwenden.

Enthaltene Geschichten:
Everyone is a worker / Jeder arbeitet an seinem Platz
Building an new house / Ein Haus wird gebaut
Mailing a letter / Einen Brief schreiben und versenden (kannte ich aus meinem deutschen Buch nicht)
Firemen to the rescue / Alarm bei der Feuerwehr
A visit in the hospital / Stina muss ins Krankenhaus
The train trip / Eine Nacht in der Eisenbahn
The story of seeds and how they grow / Maisernte bei Bauer Bock
Wood and how we use it / Wozu man Holz braucht
Building an new road / Eine neue Straße von Schaffenau nach Dornholzhausen
A voyage on a ship / Eine Seereise mit der blauen Möwe
Where bread comes from / Aus Korn wird Mehl, aus Mehl wird Brot

Folgende Geschichten fehlen in der englischen Fassung (im Vergleich zu meiner alten deutschen Fassung von 1970)
Mutter hat immer zu tun
Wackerle und Eilig, die Polizisten von Schaffenau
Auf dem Flughafen
Wie man aus Kohle Strom gewinnt
Wasser braucht man überall
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Prabhleen
5.0 out of 5 stars This is an all time favourite at our house
Reviewed in India on July 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
A highly informational book, covers topics as diverse as how a house is built, a trip to the hospital, how a seed grows up to be a plant, a day at the fire station and many more. All of this in Richard Scarry's easy flowing narrative and detailed illustrations.

Can't recommend this book enough. If you are going to buy just one book for your 3-4 year old, make it this one.
One person found this helpful
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Tamion
5.0 out of 5 stars Cute, fun and showing kids that there IS a life outside the office block
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2015
Verified Purchase
Love, love, LOVE this book! Admittedly I loved it from when I was little, but buying it again now for my own son, it still looks as cute and helpful as I felt it was over 30 years ago with lovely illustrations of what folk get up to in their everyday lives.
Sure...you could argue it doesn't have more relevant jobs to today's workforce, but then what kid wants to be shown an illustration of us stuck ten hours at our desks, glued to a screen in a bland office with a visit to a sandwich shop and half an hour on Facebook as the highlight of our day? Let's allow them to dream that they can actually be a fireman.
2 people found this helpful
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AnnGleterre
5.0 out of 5 stars Superbe livre
Reviewed in France on January 14, 2014
Verified Purchase
Facile à comprendre même pour des débutants, de jolies illustrations, C'est un livre excellent à mettre entre toutes les mains, qu'elles soient de la taille 8 ou de la taille 3...
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