What Do People Do All Day?

by Richard Scarry

Packed with pictures and things to spot on every page, this classic has been refreshed to bring the world of Richard Scarry to a new generation of readers. What do people do all day? This is the perfect book to introduce children to the world of work. From doctors to dressmakers, from mothers to sailors, we follow a colourful collection of busy people working through their busy days. Captain Sally and his crew are getting ready to go on a voyage, Seargeant Murhphy is working hard to keep things safe and peaceful, and engineers are building new roads. Another busy day in Busytown!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Classics, Animals, Kids, Young Adult

Paperback

First published March 12, 1968

About the author

RICHARD SCARRY is one of the world's best-loved children's authors EVER! In his extraordinary career, 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. No other illustrator has shown such a lively interest in the words and concepts of early childhood. Richard Scarry was posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators in 2012.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book ever written. I mean it.

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day? definitely is engagingly entertaining, full of details upon details and thus both textually and illustratively informative (and albeit I do also have fond memories using a school library copy in grade four to practice my English vocabulary), personally I have always found What Do People Do All Day? as much too frenetic and too in-your-face busy for my tastes (and most definitely with TOO MUCH of an emphasis on physical work, and especially on vehicles and machinery). In other words, I usually do tend to always consider Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever rather more balanced with regard to presenting an acceptable combination of home and public life (and thus also not as overtly and joyously extroverted as What Do People Do All Day?) and yes indeed, that What Do People Do All Day? is in my opinion simply and totally just a bit too constantly into getting up and going, too celebratory and supportive of the so-called modern rat race.

And albeit that even as a child of ten when I was using What Do People Do All Day? to increase my English vocabulary I found the emphasis on especially all work and no play, on modernity or bust so to speak a wee bit uncomfortable and unnatural, now as an older (much more introverted) adult reader revisiting Richard Scarry for the first time since 1976, I actually do consider it quite majorly problematic in and of itself that What Do People Do All Day? really and unfortunately (at least in my opinion) overly focusses on people working, that the book so blatantly and one-sidedly celebrates and supports without any type of criticism whatsoever technology, vehicles, being out and busily with a rather total and overt Protestant work ethic rushing and achieving, while life itself, while quietude, sitting back and thinking, reading, pondering the world, while any kind of activity that seems to be based on reflectiveness and using one's mind feels to and for me at best rather ignored in What Do People Do All Day? as being unimportant or at least rather insignificant to and for one's daily routines and one's work habits (one's modern life).

And yes, even Richard Scarry's signature accompanying illustrations, while they do possess colour and charm, they are equally in What Do People Do All Day? much too frenetically busy for my aesthetic tastes and philosophy and for the most part also just too unapologetically pro modern technology, pro machinery, using vehicles day in and day out with no consideration and promotion of alternatives (and certainly not ever really in any manner presenting any consideration and questions regarding potential issues of pollution, over-consumption and that too many vehicles might strain resources and have the tendency to wreak havoc on the environment and natural ecosystems).

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a gateway drug to my son, who now spends half his time poring over (and creating) detailed cross-sections and schematics. And Lowly Worm, too!

[Danielius Goriunovas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didelė, lengvai skaitoma, stebėtinai detaliai aprašyti įvairūs Darbėnų miestelio gyventojų darbai. Išsisaugosiu šią savo vaikams.

[Ellinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is really fantastic! There's so much going on you could spend days reading it. And it's brilliant when you're learning English. I speak English very well but I still learned new words from this book. I left it on my night table to read again and learn more words.

[Ignas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for this book.

[Katinas Čiobrelis | knygos, kelionės ir kiti įdomūs dalykai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faina, smagi knygutė, kuri primena vaikystę. Visada patikdavo vartyti ir skaityti ką dirba darbėnuose gyvūnai. Informacija jau kažkiek pasenusi. Dauguma darbų jau išnykę arba mechanizuoti, bet vistiek įdomu pavartyti.

[Aurimas Gudas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ne knyga, o tikras lobis. Tokios turtingos iliustracijos, kuriose vis ką nors naujo pamatai.

[Agosto2010 fermare l'esecuzione di Ahmadreza Djala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uno dei miei primi libri, adorato

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very outdated (sexist).

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book on my shelves the other day when I was trying (desperately) to get some semblance of order in things and the title struck me as appropriate for the situation we have recently been in - and still are!. I do admire Richard Scarry's books, particularly his illustrations for they are all full of energy but if he were writing this book today he would have to change the jobs that people are doing, because, apart from the indoor jobs, none of the others would be taking place!

It is a lovely book, all 63 pages are packed with illustrations that fit the bill perfectly. He begins by giving us a double page spread of the various jobs that are being undertaken and then telling us 'Everyone is a worker' - really? Well in Richard Scarry's world, yes, there is massive activity on every page!

There's a family building a new house and every aspect of doing so is covered in great detail. Mailing a letter is a lot simpler but still there are three pages explaining what happens when this activity is undertaken.Firemen attending a fire, patients visiting a hospital, a trip on a train, diesel-electric type, and the story of seeds prove very detailed with Alfalfa in the latter growing the best ever and largest corn on the cob.

Wood and how we use it and building a new road are interestingly covered, a voyage on a ship is full of activity and finally where bread comes from reminds me of my Dad as a master baker when I used to go and play in the bakehouse and get covered in flour! Just like my Dad's bread, it did taste good!

Colourful, funny and very easy to read and follow, Richard Scarry lives up to his reputation with the illustrations brilliantly complementing the activities.

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 3 out of 5]

79/1001 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

"Some workers work indoors and some workers work outdoors. Some work up in the sky and some work underground."

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

September 2017 - I have a love/hate relationship with Richard Scarry. I love the details, the labels, the explanations of all kinds of things kids are interested in. But ugh, despite some improvements to the illustrations, there are still some super, super sexist stories in here, and I couldn't make it all the way through as a read-aloud - things that were too fundamental to the story to change on the fly.

[Mama ant dviračio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunku vertinti šią knygą, nes iš vienos pusės - labai patinka, iš kitos - labai nepatinka. Vaikai labai mielai ją skaito ir netgi amžiaus apribojimo kaipo tokio irgi nėra, tai yra saugus pirkinys, bet man ranka nekyla duoti daugiau, nei 3 žvaigždutes.

Labai nepatinka:
- Atgrubnagiškas lietuviškas leidimas. Beveik kiekviename puslapyje po maketavimo, vertimo ar logikos klaidą. Pvz, Mama Kriuksė sako "Gana valgyt!", o sūnus iš karto klausia, "ar galima nesuvalgyti šios paskutinės sėklelės?". Vardai nesulietuvinti, tad yra tokių perlų, kaip "Seli padėjo Ebi apsirengti marškinėlius". Jau gana, kad feisbukuose žmonės vieni į kitus vardininkais kreipiasi, kam tą dar daryti ir knygose? Ir dar vaikų?
- Knyga moraliai pasenusi. Kažkada mačiau atnaujintą anglišką versiją - bet lietuviai nusprendė imti originalią, kur tėtis perka mamai sunknelę, nes ji labai gerai tvarko namus, arba tėtis duoda mamai pinigų pirkti maisto. Angliškoje atnaujintoje versijoje ties pastarąja iliustracija tekstas visiškai kitoks: "Brangusis, nepamiršk piniginės".
- Knyga moraliai pasenusi 2. Pvz, rašoma, "Be medžių niekaip neišsiverstume". Bet visas tas "neišsiverstume" remiasi į miškų kirtimą ir medienos naudojimą baldams, popieriui ir pan. Taip, labai smagu žinoti, iš kur atsiranda daiktai, bet kaip trūksta informacijos, kad medžiai mums duoda deguonį! Kad miškas yra ekosistema, kad miškas yra namai daugybei gyvūnų! Tas pats ir su vandeniu, parodoma, kaip gaunamas geriamasis vanduo - puiki informacija! - bet ničnieko apie tai, kad vandenynas yra ekosistema, kad vandenyną reikia labai saugoti...

Labai patinka: gražios iliustracijos apie tai, iš kur atsiranda daiktai, iš kur atsiranda maistas, vanduo, elektra, kaip atrodo policininkų, gaisrininkų, gydytojų darbas, kaip keliaujama laivu, traukiniu ar lėktuvu. Knyga puikiai atsiliepa į smalsių vaikų geismą sužinoti, kaip veikia pasaulis.

[Honore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book rules! It manages to show children the nitty-gritty of how many things work (like building a house, sailing a passenger boat, baking in a bakery) while also keeping it age-appropriate and funny. I loved that he illustrated the layers of a house- piping, electrical, drywall, paint, and showcased all of the different jobs that go into making one home. I definitely plan on reading more of his books and may gift this one to a couple that I know is expecting their first child.

[Matas Maldeikis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nežinau ar esu skaitęs ar kada skaitysiu geresnę knygą. Abejoju. Gal Plėšikas Hocenplocas nelabai toki.

[Addy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who comes from a union family, this books is the truth! I love how it really emphasizes labor, the people that ACTUALLY move and shake society. That house you woke up? Labor. That road you drove on today? Labor. The reason why you can go to the store for groceries? Labor. A trucker got you that food. The electricity you use, the water you drink, the clothes you wear? Labor!

I'm glad they didn't have too many office jobs. A lot of office jobs only work for big companies that create want. Useless want. And would have been too complex for kids to understand in my opinion. Kids understand the dentist. They aren't going to understand what a lawyer does. And I say this as a paralegal.

As for the "sexist" language. As a black american woman who comes from slaves, my ancestors would have LOVED to stay at home and take care of the children. Instead they had to work fields and in the homes of evil white women. White women who had the right, yes, right, as there were laws on the books to stop black women from homemaking, can say this book is sexist because they are white. The government never forced them or people that looked like them into gender role reversals against their will, so I find the "sexist" comments laughable.

As a black woman, I think feminine jobs are wonderful and many black women would love to perform them, so I applaud Mr. Scarry for portraying women as feminine jobs. There is nothing wrong with feminine jobs or showing women only doing feminine jobs. The people that have a problem with that portrayal are spoiled and privileged whose ancestors never had to work a real masculine job like black women have had to since we were brought here. Truly pathetic.

Would the reviewers think that women doing woman's work was so "sexist" if they have to plow a field or pick tobacco in the hot southern heat with a whip at their backs? I wonder.

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of my four-year-old's favorite books. It takes a long time to read because the text is all over the pages (which can be nice because that helps it describe things more specifically), but he really enjoys seeing all of the different workers, especially the lumberjacks, farmers, and construction workers. He tells me that when he grows up, he wants to be "a worker"!

There is a fair amount of silliness as is typical in Busytown, and of course, anthropomorphic animals, but it seems that most of the professions presented here are fairly accurate. It gives kids a good idea of some of the work that many jobs entail.

The main downside for me is that it's rather dated -- not just in terms of steam shovels and construction procedures, but also gender equality. I'm sure it was probably just a reflection of its time, but the majority of workers shown here are male, with the exception of a few nurses. Women are mostly portrayed as housewives (and in one case, we are told her husband gave her a new dress because she "earned" it by "taking such good care of the house.").

I'm glad Sonlight also includes Things People Do with this one in their curriculum, because that one seems a lot more balanced to me.

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing about stay at home parents?! That's what a lot of people do all day. Minus one star.

This was fun to read aloud. I learned a few things too--about plumbing and construction.

Note: this book relies on dated gender roles, such as "fireman," etc. This provides good prompts for discussion when reading.

[Brenna Crotty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Richard Scarry gets better at not being quite so rigidly gendered in his other books (naming all the workers except the one female character ["Mommy," natch] was gross, and her contributions "earning" her a present from her husband was worse). Scarry's other books have female characters doing a variety of things and having identities outside of motherhood and stuff, so maybe read those instead.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a librarian, so of course I'm very familiar with Richard Scarry and the characters of Busytown. I recently found a 100 pack of Richard Scarry stickers and in looking through them decided I needed to revisit Busytown and remind myself of the characters. In What Do People Do All Day?, Scarry covers many of the jobs and tasks that the average person would have in real life. Is it a completely accurate description of every job/work imaginable? No. But, it's a very cute book that covers everything from a stay-at-home pig mom to police officers, farmers, and home builders and electricians. There is a LOT of information and illustrations on every page and in reading it again as an adult I'm reminded why kids love these books. I enjoyed my trip down memory lane with What Do People Do All Day?even if it didn't include a librarian in here!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dated technologically, societally, but still plenty of enjoyment to be had.

[Caleb M. Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty based.

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Scarry had a tremendous 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 entertainment for prereaders to enjoy at their leisure. His lively, fill-up-the-page artwork and classic sense of humor have endeared him to children for over fifty years.

In this book, Scarry introduces individual citizens of Busytown, then tells short stories about specific projects they are involved in: building a house, mailing a letter, putting out a fire, visiting the hospital, riding a train, growing a crop, lumberjacking and processing wood, building a road, taking an ocean voyage, and making bread. By interweaving these individual stories, he shows how greater social process work together in industrial society. Each story demonstrates the value of work, both for the individuals who perform it and those who enjoy its effects. It's a wonderfully orienting book, helping even very young children understand the interworkings of their society.

This abridged edition is easy to find, but disappointingly, the unabridged version (which includes a stay-at-home mom, policeman, water treatment processes, and electric plant) has become a collector's item.

[Robbie Cheadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Richard Scarry books. The stories are such fun and are also informative and the pictures are amazing. What do people do all day? is packed with interesting illustrations and stories about all sorts of workers including a farmer, a mother, the captain of a ship and a police sergeant. All of the workers are depicted as different animals and there are all sorts of little sub-stories going on in the background of each story. These sub-stories are very amusing. The pictures are very busy but they are full of action and you can spend ages looking at and discussing the pictures with your child. The pictures will also give you a good giggle as there are also a host of little sub-plots going on in the illustrations. This book is an enjoyable way of teaching children about fires, going to hospital and a train trip as well as how people use wood and build roads. I remember reading Richard Scarry's books when I was young and then I read them to both my boys, separately due to the age gap. I am now reading them to my nieces and I still enjoy them thoroughly. I would recommend this book for children aged 3 and upwards if mom or dad is reading. Children from aged 9 and upwards can read these books themselves.

[Aneesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was recommended to me by a labor historian I respect who praised it for implicitly acknowledging that all kinds of jobs and work are equally important to society.

The diagrams of waterwheels and gears and underground pipes are enchanting.

However, my edition at least has not been updated, like some Scarry books, to include women. The first woman with a job outside the home appears on page 43, she is a nurse, the mom does everything at home, etc. There were not even teachers in this book. For this reason I can't make it a staple for my daughter.

I would also have liked to see some examples of people who work in offices! Because that's the real question, isn't it?

[Amar Pai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyably detailed guide to modern industrial life. You can spend a lot of time poring over the oversized pages. As usual Richard Scarry's illustrations are warm and humorous.. This is like the baby version of Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape, or Works: Anatomy of a City

See also: Everything great about Richard Scarry in one picture

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jack enjoyed it, but it is pretty outdated. I found a lot of places where I had to break in and say, "well, that's how they used to do it, but now..." I like what the book sets out to do, and I like the curiosity and focus with which Jack responds to Richard Scarry books. I should check out the current edition and see if it has been tweaked.

[Jamie McLendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rare 1966 edition wherein Huckle Cat staples Bananas Gorilla to the classroom bulletin board.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This title encapsulates the question I ask to myself as I drive around in Houston trafffic--What Do People Do All Day? Ha ha. A classic.

Ages 3-6