Best Word Book Ever - Cover

Female Officer, not Policeman

Dad inserted into kitchen.

Mrs. Farmer now, not Scarecrow

Sister in bathroom, not brother

Cautioned driver now a lighter colored fur (?).

Father and Sister out with Baby, not Mom & Son

Bunny Eyes all have pupils now, not all-black.

Fire Fighter, not Fireman - and what's with the new hat?

"F.D." removed for some reason

New stove.

Mailman no more - now a Letter Carrier.

Best Word Book Ever - Cover by kokogiak.

(1963 on left, 1991 on right)

Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever, 1963 vs 1991 editions (with revisions). The 1963 edition is my own, bought for me in the late 60's when I was a toddler, and read to tatters. The 1991 edition belongs to my kids today. I was so familar with the older one that I immediately started noticing a few differences, and so have catalogued 10 of the more interesting differences here in this collection.

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Comments

goldberg says:

This is great! I used to read this as a kid, so I'll have to go find my 1980-ish edition, to get a 3rd data point.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

Ariel Cat says:

Great - I'll have to see what version I had growing up in 70s.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

inky says:

Well done! The subtle changes are facinating - can't wait to see what the 2020 edition will look like.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

Micah Sittig says:

FD probably removed for i17n purposes. Great series, BTW.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

patrickd says:

Don't forget mailman -> letter carrier
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

EssjayNZ says:

thanks for the memories......
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

bubblepics says:

Richard Scarry! One of my favourites!
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

Robert Brook says:

No more bragging about number of items, or 'color'...
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

svillarosa says:

The milk bottle on the yellow van is missing the letter A. Don't know what that means though.

By the way, kokogiak, you're on MetaFilter.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

Cyron says:

The racoon being pulled up in his car now appears to just be receiving traffic directions from the police officer. In the old version he was wearing a mask, and was thus obviously a criminal, and was being pulled over by the police officer
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

souzacampus says:

Seven changes game! Wonderful:-)
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

sassyass says:

this it the best word book comparison ever!
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

omnithrope says:

Fantastic. I have the one on the left, too.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

ptufts says:

The 2020 edition devotes more room to our alien overlords.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

Treehugger says:

This is really interesting, thanks for posting it! I had one of these books and what they've changed is kind of fascinating.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

Blackwing Jenny says:

Genius! Many thanks for doing this. I loved Scarry then, still do....fascinating to see the PC changes(and not all "bad" ones, either--for a change).
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

DanCentury says:

They removed the FD? That's F'D up.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

Tom Watson says:

What's cool is that Scarry changed these himself - they represent his own changed view of the world in 30 years. He was very much alive then.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

eliohouse says:

very interesting!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

matt_leclair says:

Thanks for a wonderful set! Can anyone say if this has been "corrected" even further in the 2001 or later editions? Or was 1991 the last update?
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Kim Scarborough says:

Undoubtedly the next edition will replace "cow" with "bovine-American".
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

mattdm says:

Cyron -- I don't think that's actually the case. I have the 1963 version too, and although the image here is too small to tell, the policeman is clearly smiling happily at the driver. It doesn't look like he's in trouble or anything, just being told to hold on while the F.D. truck goes through.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

illskematiks says:

Any chances we can get more side by side comparisons?
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

smackfu says:

Also lost the crow (and label) and added the car label.

(Incidentally, they didn't remove the "Welcome" text from the doormat. So much for internationalization.)
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

kat cruickshank says:

All the comments on these comparisons are just as much fun as the photos themselves!!

I don't remember having this book when we were little (we would have had the 63 edition, if so) but it makes me wonder how many other "classic" children's books have been similarly revised &/or bowdlerized.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

herbiebug says:

Fascinating! That was one of my childhood favorites too.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

missmookus says:

This is so awesome, thank you for sharing! I hadn't noticed the differences but I started going through my books. Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever (1995) has the original versions of some of the pages and I've commented on those. Cool, I can do a full comparison here in my own home!
Thanks again for doing this. I loved the comments as well.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Cleocatra says:

I think I remember this book... I must have had a 1990 book though.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

simulacreant says:

i was looking at this:
www.xmission.com/~emailbox/mainzer.htm

which made me think of richard scarry. not sure what version i have. it could be a hand-me-down from my brother, too. always loved scarry's stuff.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

The jannie says:

This updating could be funny if it wasn't so far king sad. The PC squad have shot themselves in the foot by using clothing stereotypes - or are we to take it that there are cross-dressers among these innocent-looking animals?
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Rob T Firefly [deleted] says:

Well spotted! Thanks for putting these up.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

lydiaknowsbest says:

Hehehehe... I need one of those new ones!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

lydiaknowsbest says:

class
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

zolo says:

very informative, i'm definitely going to dig up my 1970's version for my kid!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Luke Dorny (luxuryluke) says:

link to story about richard scarry:

images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ro tten.com/lib...
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

lepre says:

Interesting! I'm from sweden and his book have been very popular here, at least when i was kid in the 70's and 80's.

I think the removal of F.D. and the new hat is for international reasons. (There's no F.D. on swedish cars and swedish kids would wonder what the fuck F.D. means? I remember I did :) )
Posted 43 months ago. ( permalink )

Leona Shanana says:

oh I love these books! best kids books ever.
Posted 43 months ago. ( permalink )

carolitajohnson says:

Oh dear! I like the older, more high contrast one better! For me the main difference lies in the low contrast of the new version. Not as pretty, and very bland, visually. What's up with all those arbitrary changes? Some I get, like the Dad in the kitchen, helping Mom. But others make no sense to me.
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

Max Peck says:

F.D. is removed to make it easier (cheaper) to sell foreign rights. It's relatively easy to change pure black type; you only have to alter one of the four plates that make up all the colors in a book. But if you want to change anything that's in color and/or a part of the actual art, you have to alter all four of the plates. And what publisher doesn't prefer the cheaper way? Anyway, thanks for putting this up!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

tuppence1 says:

Nice extention on the Rabbit's house. Shame the cooker flue goes into the hallway. Carbon Monoxide for dinner again....

But "Letter Carrier" - awful name. how many postal workers would call themselves a 'letter carrier'?
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

aikisenshi says:

This is fascinating, I read the early 1980s (or maybe late 70s, the books seemed a bit old even when I was reading them as a kid) version of this book, and some of the illustrations I remember seeing are the same as the 1960s versions, and some are the same as the 1991 version. For example, I remember the Cowboy being on the "What do you want to be?" page (the huge elephant in chaps is hard to forget), but also remember there being a Father in the kitchen on the front cover.
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

mamaloco says:

I got a real kick out of this set! We love the BWBE (the new version of course). We were reading it today in fact. My mom has my copy from the 70s and I can't wait to check it out now.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

Aaron T says:

At first I thought the differences were changes drawn over the original, but looking more closely I see that the whole cover was seemingly redrawn, albeit with nearly the same layout of characters, vehicles, and buildings. Interesting.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

sbethell says:

So much changes. And yet milk is still being delivered in bottles!
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Laser Burners says:

ahh! that used to be my favorite book.. and i had the older edition too. thanks for this post.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

DarthMaltball says:

Christ I had this in the late 70's too I'm pretty sure.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

mkuplens says:

Love the new steel grain elevator replacing the wood slat one. Two other good series to look at for revision(ism/s) are Noddy and Thomas the Tank Engine. the latter series lost their Fat Controller (now Sir Topham Hatt - how pathetic!) some time ago, and the former found a new name for some of (his/her?) more colourful friends
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

michaeldillon says:

Those damn liberals ruin everything!
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

millertime83 says:

lowly worm is my favorite
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

feckineejit says:

OMG we have to blow up the seventies for being so offensive!
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

petehoffswell says:

You will find This Russian Version very interesting!
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

100777 says:

letter carrier? doubleplusgood!
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Kreihst says:

The fire hydrant is no longer on the sidewalk behind the milk truck.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Barack Obama is my homeboy says:

Wow, I remember these guys... talk about memories!
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

webbington says:

my 1972 english copy is different again
there's no cop
and the farm house is a thatched cottage with timber frame
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

Ingram Family Photos says:

Fantastic piece of work. Came here having purchased a new copy of 'What Do People Do All Day?' for a friend's son & found quite a lot of the stories missing. Quite bizarre / sinister how they mess about with these things.
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

edebruyn says:

The Dutch version has the original un-PC drawings but the helmets have changed and FD is gone.
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

Kumitey says:

Great comparasion! :)
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

kizmut says:

I believe the yellow door mat is symbolic of man's struggle against the indifference of the establishment and the missing firehydrant represents the visible lack of presence of our own defenses on home soil.
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

Halloweenville says:

that was awesome. thank you
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

yorum83 says:

So THAT'S what the plan is. Thanks so much for sharing.
www.orguleri.com
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

kay, kay says:

I wish they still showed this show on Nick Jr.
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

greynotgrey [deleted] says:

I'd love to find out who to write to at the publisher to complain - I don't mind updating the characters and text, but I very much mind the incredibly inferior drawing and colouring styles. It's so easy to spot the "changes" on each change that it's almost funny - all you have to do is look for the drawings that aren't "finished".

I grew up with the 1965 version and just bought the new edition for my daughter... I'm frankly disappointed.
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

sergemo says:

Thank you for this, it was fascinating! I loved these books as a child.
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

mayasmommy says:

Thanks for this fascinating comparison. This was my favorite book growing up in the '70s...in India. A lot of things didn't make sense but I loved it anyway.

They have removed 21 pages from the new edition I just bought for my daughter. I noticed the garden page with all the flowers is missing but can't remember what else. And like greynotgrey says, it's just incredibly inferior somehow. So sad.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

lucidcats says:

Nice Catch ;-)
Your very Clever!
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

WaitAMinuteChester says:

This is tremendous, but there's one I'm dying to know and I can't check because I can't find my old copy. Being as this is not only a word book, but the best word book ever with words describing ever little nook & cranny, I'm amazed when turned to the airport page. The largest object on the page is the helicopter, dead center, but it doesn't have a word for it! Was this true of the original version too? I was wondering if the PC editors were concerned about "hell" being pronounced at the beginning of the word...
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

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Best Word Book Ever - Cover

Comments

goldberg says:

Ariel Cat says:

inky says:

Micah Sittig says:

patrickd says:

EssjayNZ says:

bubblepics says:

Robert Brook says:

svillarosa says:

Cyron says:

souzacampus says:

sassyass says:

omnithrope says:

ptufts says:

Treehugger says:

Blackwing Jenny says:

DanCentury says:

Tom Watson says:

eliohouse says:

matt_leclair says:

Kim Scarborough says:

mattdm says:

illskematiks says:

smackfu says:

kat cruickshank says:

herbiebug says:

missmookus says:

Cleocatra says:

simulacreant says:

The jannie says:

Rob T Firefly [deleted] says:

lydiaknowsbest says:

lydiaknowsbest says:

zolo says:

Luke Dorny (luxuryluke) says:

lepre says:

Leona Shanana says:

carolitajohnson says:

Max Peck says:

tuppence1 says:

aikisenshi says:

mamaloco says:

Aaron T says:

sbethell says:

Laser Burners says:

DarthMaltball says:

mkuplens says:

michaeldillon says:

millertime83 says:

feckineejit says:

petehoffswell says:

100777 says:

Kreihst says:

Barack Obama is my homeboy says:

webbington says:

Ingram Family Photos says:

edebruyn says:

Kumitey says:

kizmut says:

Halloweenville says:

yorum83 says:

kay, kay says:

greynotgrey [deleted] says:

sergemo says:

mayasmommy says:

lucidcats says:

WaitAMinuteChester says:

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The Best Word Book Ever,1963 and 1991. (Set)

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