Richard Scarry
Recognized in the Creative Minds Montessori 2026 Teacher’s Choice list.
Richard Scarry is one of roughly one hundred authors whose work was selected by the Montessori-certified teachers at Creative Minds Montessori for the 2026 Teacher’s Choice list — 120 books chosen across four reading stages, from first lap-reads to first chapter books. Their 2 selected books were chosen for how precisely they meet children at a real developmental moment. This recognition cannot be bought: no author or publisher paid to appear on our lists, and we take no commission on any book sale.
About Richard Scarry
Richard Scarry (1919–1994) built Busytown, the most densely populated place in children's literature — over 100 million books of cheerful animal workers explaining how the world runs. His specialty was information density a toddler could wander in for an hour.
After art school and Army service, Scarry spent years illustrating other people's Golden Books before an editor let him loose on his own; he moved to Switzerland and drew Busytown from an Alpine studio for the rest of his life, reportedly working with a view of cows.
Also by this author: Cars and Trucks and Things That Go · Busy, Busy Town · What Do People Do All Day?
Official legacy site: www.richardscarry.com
Selected for the 2026 Teacher’s Choice list
Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever
Page Grabbers · Point and Name
What Do People Do All Day?
The Why-Askers · How the World Works
Part of The Best Children’s Books by Age, chosen by the teachers at Creative Minds Montessori in Frisco, TX.