CARS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT GO

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Richard Scarry

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Another person whose works I would covet as a whole cache if I had the funds. Anthropomorphic animals, as is standard with most children's picture books, but en masse so that there is so much to see. And labelled. Labelled even though you know the label. The label is almost a I-know-that-you-know-so-now-we-know-together bonding of illustrator and reader.

Scarry started out more than half a century ago when women and men had their life roles defined largely by their gender. But when things began to change for the better, Scarry with his publishing colleagues decided to tweak their successful books to ride with the times. So what had been cool in the '60's -think I Dream of Genie [sexy lady locked in a bottle doing her master's beckoning] and Bewitched [damn hot witch forbidden by husband to use her powers for anything cool]- was not so kosher in the '80's and Scarry went back to work with his pencil. Not that he had women locked in bottles but he did have a lot of aprons and female houserabbits and housecats. I am pleased to say that Cars and Trucks and Things that Go have mum pig drivers, a female policefox racing through the pages and a mistress mouse mechanic.


Every page is filled with cuteness, action and general awesomeness like the toothbrush car that looks like a toothbrush and the shark car which looks like a shark that wants to fly but can't. And both labelled toothbrush car and shark car because you can see it plain and simple but the label makes it one point greater. Apparently Scarry also made very accurate technical drawings, as in the planes and work vehicles are technically correct when compared to real life.

Little creatures hang ten with big creatures and there's no animosity. Everyone is busy. It's just heartwarming. I want to drive a Swiss cheese triangle car and live in a Richard Scarry world.