Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever

I thought I bought a 2000 edition but no, it looks like one from 80s. The book itself is fun to read but doesn't include most famous stories.

Like other reviewers, this was one of my favorite books as a child. Since the contents of the book have been covered in other reviews, I wanted to mention a few other things. First, I can proudly say that my 3-year-old son is currently thrilled with my original copy. Second, I believe that this book has much to offer in terms of pre-reading skills. When I pulled this book out for my son last year, I looked through it fondly, and vividly recognized almost all of the pictures. Interestingly, though, I didn't remember the words; I had memorized all of the pictures and created my own stories as a very young child. I was a very early reader; I was reading novels of 300-400 pages in the third grade. I believe that that had much to do with my desire to sit and "read" books on my own as a toddler. Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever is designed for a child to work through on his/her own. My son "reads" to himself for about an hour each day (self-inflicted!) and he already matches letter sounds to words. I'm not a believer in the genetics argument for most children; I believe that children learn to read early, and learn to have a love for books based on the environment provided for them. This book is a fantastic way to begin to set that environment for your child.

I still have my original paperback copy, which came free with a box of Bold laundry detergant (the sticker is still on the cover), and hold it as one of my most valued childhood treasures. I'm sure my dad can recite the entire book word for word as he read it to me so often! I am now 7 months pregnant with my first child and wondered how my tattered (read that as well loved) copy would hold up for my little boy. Imagine my delight when I found that it is still in print! I can't wait to get a copy for the library we are working on for him! Even though my little one is still in utero, my husband and I read to him every night, and will continue to do so after he's born. I can't imagine a better book to read from than Richard Scarry! This book has delightful tales and rhymes that all children will love. My favorite part about the book though is that so many of the stories are set in different parts of the world and illustrated in a child friendly manner that will make them want to learn more about the world around them (in my opinion anyway, as it certainly did for me). As we now live in Europe, I've visited many places I was first introduced to, and intrigued by, in Richard Scarry's world. This book is an absolute must for all children's libraries.

Like many of the other customer reviewers, I loved this book when I was a child. This book has it all: classic nursery rhymes, stories that don't tax little ones' attention spans, and enchanting illustrations. Names of everyday objects, shapes, colors, numbers, etc. are presented in an entertaining manner - your child won't realize (s)he's being educated!This book is great for getting your toddler interested in books. My two year old daughter loves reading her "Lellow Book" at bedtime every night, and I look forward to it as much as she does. (If I had the proverbial dime for every time I've read "Chipmunk's Birthday" I'd be richer than Jeff Bezos!)The only complaint I have is that we've had to glue the spine to the pages several times. I suppose frequent use is a contributing factor, but other reviewers have noted similar binding problems from this publisher. If not for this one drawback, I would have rated this book 6 out of 5.