Like many of my generation, I grew up on Richard Scarry's densely illustrated books. His humorously anthropomorphized animal world is a formative element of almost every kid's imagination. And now I find out the guy was a slackin' dropout and a randy ho'.
Reading this irreverent (and presumably accurate) one-page biography of Richard Scarry is like getting cornered at a party and having his drunk editor unload all kinds of dirt about the old guy. As a bonus, it's probably the only safe-for-work webpage on that entire domain. Surf carefully.
Rotten.com's Richard Scarry Biography [rotten.com, via coudal]
Buy Richard Scarry's Biggest Word Book Ever! board book [amazon.com]
Or maybe Cars and Trucks and Things That Go [amazon.com]
We got I Am A Bunny first [amazon.com]
Update: DT reader Emily points to cheap/cool vintage-design posters from the Children's Book Council, including some by Scarry encouraging kids to read--if not necessarily stay in school.]
This bio makes me think of Jacob Two Two by Mordecai Richler, a man not known for his umm.. smoothed edges (?).