Maybe this is my penance for Lent this year: recommending important authors that everyone needs to read. Richard Scarry is one of the most important children’s authors of the 20th century, and, even though I read this book when I was a kid, it is just as important today as it was 30 years ago. I present vocabulary workshops around the country, and teachers often ask me about authors who are good about introducing important vocabulary in their books. Besides Dr. Seuss, I’d put Richard Scarry right up there as one of the best vocabulary teachers. This book, in particular, does a fantastic job of introducing students to the many “things that go.”