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Summer Celebration for Internationally Bestselling Children's Author Richard Scarry

Posted on: Friday, 22 May 2009, 06:57 CDT

June 5 is the Anniversary of Beloved Author and Illustrator's 90th Birthday

NEW YORK, May 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- June 5, 2009 is the anniversary of Richard Scarry's 90th birthday. One of the bestselling children's authors of all time, his books have delighted generations of children with their funny, detailed and panoramic look at a variety of people, places and experiences.

Though he passed away in 1994, Richard Scarry has never been more popular or better loved by readers. A prolific artist, he created more than 300 books that have sold over 200 million copies worldwide and been translated into 30 languages.

For 90 days in June, July and August, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and fans both young and old are encouraged to celebrate Richard Scarry's life and work by having "A Very Scarry Summer." Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. will be offering a sweepstakes to win eight Richard Scarry books, downloadable games and puzzles, special remembrances and stories about the artist and his books, and fascinating facts about favorite characters like Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm, and detectives Sam Cat and Dudley Pig at their website: www.sterlingpublishing.com/kids/a-summer-of-scarry.

"I'm not interested in creating a book that is read once and then placed on the shelf and forgotten," Richard Scarry once said. "I am very happy when people write that they have worn out my books, or that they are held together by Scotch tape. I consider that the ultimate compliment." Considering the propensity of Scarry's preschool-age readership to ask for their favorite books again and again, it's a compliment he must have received often.

Scarry began his career as a freelance illustrator, drawing pictures to accompany the text of books by children's authors such as Margaret Wise Brown, Kathryn Jackson, and Patricia Murphy (who became Patricia Scarry when she married Richard in 1949).

But it was the 1963 publication of Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever that put Scarry on bestseller lists, and established his signature style. With a keen eye for absurd human behavior, Scarry populated his books with polite, well-mannered animals who engaged in a dizzying array of individual activities, and his subsequent books were dense with slapstick and visual humor.

"I think that what I still admire the most about my father is that he always remained true to himself. He had the wisdom and sensitivity to retain a childlike character all his life," Huck Scarry, Richard Scarry's son, commented. "My father always attached great importance on making sure that children also learned the secret of good manners and nice behavior, as well as learning social concepts like sharing. He wanted to give children a feeling of confidence and of well-being in a happy world, bubbling over with funny and fascinating things. My father was a great lover of life, and he loved living. I think his books reflect that. The pages are as remarkably alive today as the day they were drawn."

Richard Scarry considered himself an entertainer disguised as an educator and few children's book authors have equaled him in that role. "Everything has an educational value if you look for it," he once said. "But it's the fun I want to get across."

Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., in conjunction with JB Communications, Inc., is proud to be bringing back many of the books that express that fine ethos: Richard Scarry's Great Big Schoolhouse, Richard Scarry's Find Your ABC's, Richard Scarry's Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon, Richard Scarry's The Great Pie Robbery and Other Mysteries, Richard Scarry's Colors, Richard Scarry's This is Me, Richard Scarry's Shapes & Opposites and Richard Scarry's From 1 to 10.

ABOUT STERLING PUBLISHING CO., INC.:

For 60 years, Sterling has been one of the world's leading publishers of non-fiction books. We strive to publish high-quality books that educate, entertain, and enrich the lives of our readers. We have the reach of a major publisher with the passion and creativity of an independent press. Sterling is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Contact information: Derry Wilkens dwilkens@sterlingpublishing.com 646.688.2412

For more information about this or other Sterling Publishing children's books, go to www.sterlingpublishing.com/kids.

SOURCE Sterling Publishing

Source: PR Newswire

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