Parents' Guide to

The Busy World of Richard Scarry

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Friendly book characters teach kids about cooperation.

TV Kidstream Kids' Animation 1994
The Busy World of Richard Scarry Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • The Busy World of Richard Scarry TV Show: Scene #1
  • The Busy World of Richard Scarry TV Show: Scene #2
  • The Busy World of Richard Scarry TV Show: Scene #3
  • The Busy World of Richard Scarry TV Show: Scene #4

Community Reviews

See all
age 3+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Laura B.
Laura B. Parent of 4 and 4-year-old
April 12, 2022
age 4+

This title has:

Great messages
madam_anna
madam_anna Adult
September 17, 2020
age 3+

Enjoyable for Kids AND Adults

I found this show on Tubi while trying to find something new for my little to watch. I missed watching this show when I was a kid, so I decide to watch it with him--we were both hooked since the first episode! This show has SUBSTANCE. The Busy World of Richard Scarry has great story lines and messages for kids presented through interesting characters. The show also has great songs and a fun introduction to other countries as well as periods in history. It's opened up a lot of discussion for my son, he's learned so much. The show has some era-based things from when it was first aired (The Cat Family owns a record player), but this also has enabled more learning for my son. The art style is beautiful, the animation is smooth, and the voice acting is fantastic. In comparing it to Hurray for Huckle (Busytown Mysteries), The Busy World of Richard Scarry blows the new show out of the water (which could not keep my attention and my son only watched half of an episode). I highly recommend The Busy World of Richard Scarry for any family!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Richard Scarry's beloved children's book characters come to life in THE BUSY WORLD OF RICHARD SCARRY, a '90s-era animated series. All of fans' favorites reside in the cartoon version of Busytown, including the central characters Huckle Cat (voiced by Sonja Ball); his sister, Sally (Ball again); and their friend Lowly Worm (Keith Knight). Each episode in this series consists of three stories and two musical segues, whose topics complement one or more of the stories. The show chronicles the day-in, day-out happenings of the town, exploring how the characters relate to and cooperate with each other to solve problems. Recurring characters Inspector Couscous and Pepe le Gangstaire often make appearances in stories that are set in foreign locations and face off over Pepe's thieving ways.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (3):

If you're familiar with Richard Scarry's books, then you'll have a good sense about why they adapt so well to TV. His linear animation style translates flawlessly to the screen, which makes it easy for young fans of the books to jump right into the stories. The episodes center on issues that are relevant to kids' lives, like forgetting a responsibility or being scared by a strange noise in the house. Even at seven minutes long, each story is well developed and resolved in a way that underscores the characters' cooperation and resourcefulness.

There's nothing in the content of The Busy World of Richard Scarry that should keep preschoolers from tuning in, and the show's inclusion of basic world geography through the characters' travels, as well as the musical interstitials that teach about issues like personal safety and how things work ensure they leave with a little morsel of knowledge as well.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about teamwork in The Busy World of Richard Scarry. How are team leaders chosen? Why is cooperation an important aspect of successful teams? How does being part of a team bring out a person's unique talents?

  • What problems did the characters face today? Was it a problem that affected just one person or multiple people? How did the characters pool their efforts to fix it? What did they (and you) learn from the experience?

  • Parents and kids can take this opportunity to check out the characters' experiences in Richard Scarry's books. How are the stories and characters similar to those in the series? Are there any differences? Do you like either the books or the TV show any better than the other? Why?

  • How do the characters in The Busy World of Richard Scarry demonstrate communication and teamwork? Why are those important character strengths?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate