Hurray for Huckle (Busytown Mysteries)™ is the latest in a series
of kids' tv programs and videos based on children's author Richard
Scarry's classic Busytown picture books.
(credit: Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc.)
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Several hilarious and educational videos and kids tv programs have been adapted from the classic picture books of children's author Richard Scarry, who would have turned 90 on June 5, 2009. While some are available only in VHS form and others air only in Canada or other foreign countries, all are worth tracking down to entertain and educate kids of various ages.
Random House Richard Scarry videos
The first animated shows based on Richard Scarry books were a series of Richard Scarry videos created by Random House in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
- In Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever! (1989), Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm, and the rest of the Busytown schoolchildren tell brief stories and describe short examples of situations related to each of the letters of the alphabet, while in a funny subplot Bananas Gorilla attempts to get bananas.
- In Richard Scarry's Best Counting Video Ever! (1989), Lily Bunny practices counting during a special Counting Day.
- In Richard Scarry's Best Learning Songs Video Ever! (1993), the children of Busytown put on a backyard talent show in which each song teaches a different concept, like shapes, opposites, or manners.
Other Random House videos in this series include Richard Scarry's Best Busy People Video Ever! (1993), Richard Scarry's Best Sing-Along Mother Goose Video Ever! (1994), and Richard Scarry's Best Silly Stories and Songs Video Ever! (1994).
The Busy World of Richard Scarry
Next there was an animated cartoon based on Richard Scarry's Busytown books that aired on Showtime and Nickelodeon in the 1990s. The Busy World of Richard Scarry is a fun mix of stories about funny happenings in Busytown, tales of characters in other lands, fractured versions of historical events, and songs that teach about safety and how things work.
Hurray for Huckle! Busytown Mysteries
Currently running in Canada and other countries (and recently renewed for a third season) is a new Richard Scarry show called Hurray for Huckle (Busytown Mysteries). In this fun flash-animated show, Huckle Cat, Sally Cat, Lowly Worm, and their friends must use the scientific method to solve day-to-day mysteries in Busytown, like who took a bite out of a car shaped like a piece of cheese. Preschoolers watching this show will enjoy trying to solve each mystery while at the same time learning how to gather clues and make deductions.
Although Hurray for Huckle! is not currently airing in the States, episodes can be purchased on two DVDs (Hurray for Huckle: Zooming Around Busytown and Hurray for Huckle: The Very Best Busytown Friends Ever) as well as two more Richard Scarry DVDs that are forthcoming.
A Very Scarry Summer
To celebrate Richard Scarry's 90th birthday, Sterling Children's Books has declared summer 2009 to be A Very Scarry Summer and is offering a free downloadable activity kit and holding a sweepstakes. Chicago families can join in the celebration both by reading Richard Scarry's classic books and by discovering and watching the fun and educational television shows based on his wonderful works.
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