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Parents' Guide to

Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day?

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Engaging classic makes work delightful.

Book Richard Scarry Picture Book 1968
Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day? Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 3+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Rachael C.
Rachael C. Parent of 3 and 5-year-old
April 28, 2018
age 4+

Outdated

The reason I suggest 4 years old is because that's when I find most kids can comprehend the differences between antiquated, inappropriate views held in the 60's when this was first published and modern views. For example, the dad rewards the mom for cleaning the house with a new dress. We've discussed the inappropriateness of this, and how people are working to improve on it. My youngest doesn't quite get it but my oldest has understood for over a year. It's important to me to point out and educate about these injustices and any younger doesn't seem to comprehend.
MamaPear
MamaPear Parent of 2-year-old
April 10, 2016
age 2+

My kid loves it; I don't

My son loves this book. He looooooves it. He wants to read it over and over, all day. I'm loathe to discourage him from reading something he loves so much, but it's retrogressive, particularly in terms of gender roles.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The first section's story introduces Farmer Alfalfa, who keeps some of the food he's grown for his family and sells the rest to Grocer Cat. This simple transaction sets off a chain of events: Alfalfa uses the money he's made to buy a suit from the tailor, a tractor from the blacksmith to expand his business, and gifts for his family, and puts the rest in the bank. The tailor, in turn, buys an egg beater, the blacksmith buys more iron for his shop. From there, the book explores the type of work done in diverse areas: construction, firefighting, a hospital, the postal service, train and ocean travel, farming, lumber, road construction, and a bakery.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated
This is a beloved classic, richly layered with details children will enjoy and learn from for years. Scarry clears away some of the mystery about the adult world and explains the basics of how an economy works -- and makes it fun! Action-packed illustrations, crowded with familiar and funny Busytown characters, double as diagrams. A house, for example, is stripped to its frame to show the water and heating systems and wiring. A tree in the forest travels through a sawmill to become a board for Daddy Pig's bookcase, while others provide paper, boats, furniture, and fruit.
Young kids will savor the illustrations long after hearing the stories read aloud. They'll love searching for Lowly Worm and Bananas Gorilla on each spread and discovering the silly touches: the bull's-eye on the firefighters' safety net, Goldbug the cricket driving a bulldozer, a mouse swinging happily in the ship's mailroom. First published in 1968, the book shows its age with outdated occupations and passé gender stereotypes. But grown-ups can seize the chance to talk about how much has changed, and use the book as a springboard to talk about workers in our communities today.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the kind of work they do, at home and in their careers. Ask kids: What kind of jobs would you like to do when you're an adult?

  • What kind of work does everyone in the family do at home? How is it helpful?

  • Talk about the workers you interact with every day, and how they do their jobs.

Book Details

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