2019
WISE Score
A visual feast of anthropomorphic animals driving everything from standard fire engines to a literal pickle on wheels.
Our reviews and ratings are 100% unbiased. Screenwise is a Bookshop.org affiliate and an Amazon Associate, so if you buy a book through one of our links, we may earn a commission. Bookshop.org purchases also support independent bookstores.
If you need ten minutes of peace while your toddler identifies every single pig in a delivery van, this is the book. It’s dense, sturdy, and weird in that specific Scarry way that hasn't been successfully replicated in fifty years.
It’s the ultimate car-seat companion. It doesn't require a battery, it won't shatter when dropped, and it builds the foundational 'language comprehension' strand of literacy by turning reading into a game of observation.
Perfect for the 1-to-4 crowd. It’s designed for kids who are just starting to label their world and love anything with wheels. Once they hit kindergarten, they'll likely want more plot.
Richard Scarry’s world is the gold standard for gentle, cooperative, and non-threatening environments. It’s a world where everyone has a job and a whimsical vehicle to get it done.
The vehicle designs—like the iconic pickle car and the cheese car—encourage kids to see the world through a lens of 'what if' regarding everyday objects.
It is a physical board book for toddlers. No digital risks, no mature themes, and the physical construction is designed for durability against chewing and throwing.
Excellent for vocabulary building and visual discrimination. It encourages 'seek and find' behavior that builds focus and naming skills in toddlers.
Richard Scarry’s genius was realizing that kids don’t actually need a complex plot if you give them enough to look at. This 2019 board book version of Busy Busy Cars and Trucks is a distilled hit of his best vehicle designs. It’s the kind of thing a two-year-old will stare at until the corners are chewed off.
While modern children's media often leans into high-octane pacing or heavy-handed moral lessons, Scarry just shows you a cat in a pickle car. That absurdity is a quiet engine for imagination. It invites kids to look closer at the real world and wonder if the truck passing them on the highway might actually be driven by a rabbit.
From a literacy perspective, books like this are high-value. They aren't about decoding phonics yet; they are about background knowledge and vocabulary. When a kid learns to distinguish a delivery van from a tow truck, they are building the mental categories that make them better readers later. Plus, the sheer density of the illustrations means this book has a much longer shelf life than your average 'one word per page' board book.
Get a personalized guide on any topic
