The Little Scarecrow Boy

by Margaret Wise Brown, David Diaz (Illustrator)

Overview

The celebrated author of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny joins forces with the Caldecott Medalist of Smoky Night to tell this tender story about loving and enduring family relationships.

With words by the renowned Margaret Wise Brown and illustrations by David Diaz, this treasured picture book tells the tale of a little scarecrow boy and the lessons he learns from his scarecrow father about the world—until he decides to test his knowledge and himself.

This tender and funny story celebrates the tradition of passing knowledge from one generation to the next, and the exuberance of reaching one’s potential. Especially perfect for sharing during the Halloween season.

“The scarecrow boy will enchant young readers. He may be made of straw, but he is all heart—and so is this picture book.” —Publishers Weekly

“A sunny coming-of-age story.” —School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060778910
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/26/2005
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,082,648
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.09(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Margaret Wise Brown, cherished for her unique ability to convey a child’s experience and perspective of the world, transformed the landscape of children’s literature with such beloved classics as Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Other perennial favorites by Ms. Brown include My World; Christmas in the Barn; The Dead Bird; North, South, East, West; and Good Day, Good Night.

David Diaz has illustrated numerous award-winning books for children, including smoky night by Eve Bunting, for which he was awarded the Caldecott Medal; The Wanderer by Sharon Creech, which received a Newbery Honor; and Me, Frida by Amy Novesky, a Pura Belpré Honor Award winner. Mr. Diaz lives in Southern California.

Date of Birth:

May 23, 1910

Date of Death:

November 13, 1952

Place of Birth:

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Place of Death:

Nice, France

Education:

B.A., Hollins College, 1932; Bank Street College of Education

Website:

http://www.margaretwisebrown.com

Editorial Reviews

David Diaz appropriately lightens his palette for this tale, told with compressed poetry by Brown, of a scarecrow boy who wants more than anything to fill his father's fearsome footsteps. Despite his father's entreaties of "NO / No, little boy. / You can't go. / You're not fierce enough / to scare a crow. / Wait till you grow," the scarecrow boy sneaks into the fields early one morning to try out the scary faces he's been learning from his father. The "first fierce face" doesn't do a thing to the crow, neither does the second, nor the third...but the sixth and final scary face? "Whoa! The old crow flew backwards through the air, feathers flying everywhere..." Of course, the fact that Dad has followed the little scarecrow into the field may just have had something to with his success. This is a clear, strong hymn to toddler independence and parental security, buoyed by big and sunny illustrations in brightly autumnal colors. What a day to be a boy.

Horn Magazine

Hewing to an earthy palette of cornfield yellows, oranges, and greens, with shades of blue for contrast, Caldecott Medalist Diaz (Smoky Night) makes a dramatic departure, in a winsome interpretation of Brown's previously unpublished tale. In typical Brown fashion, a strong and loving family bond is at the core of the story, which tells of a happy scarecrow trio. "Old man scarecrow" is teaching his son the family business, and although the scarecrow boy is eager to ply his trade, his father tells him repeatedly "No, little boy./ You can't go./ You're not fierce enough/ to scare a crow./ Wait till you grow." But one day the lad can't resist giving his new skills a try, and nearly comes to grief. Not until his sixth attempt, making his fiercest face of all, does he finally drive the crows away from the fields. This warmly evoked coming-of-age tale, marked by repetitive phrasing and even pacing, makes for a superior read-aloud, enhanced by the timeless, leisurely quality in Diaz's watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations. The patched look of the scarecrow characters echoes the patchwork of the fields and multicolored corn. With his round head and chubby body, sprouting straw from every sleeve and pocket, the scarecrow boy will enchant young readers; the "faces" he makes are a droll caricature of the kind of grimaces children concoct, as his button eyes strain at their threads, his fingers pull cloth lips back to reveal straw "teeth," and so on. This scarecrow boy may be made of straw, but he's all heart--and so is this picture book.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

According to PW, "This scarecrow boy may be made of straw, but he's all heart and so is this picture book." Ages 3-7. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 1-Diaz provides wonderful illustrations for a story Brown wrote in the 1940s. Little scarecrow boy longs to accompany his father, old man scarecrow, to the cornfields to frighten the crows. Instead, he has to remain home to grow and to practice the terrible facial expressions his father teaches him. Convinced that he has mastered the six fierce faces, he slips out early one morning and confronts a big black crow in the field. These encounters test the youngster's mettle, but he succeeds in frightening the bird, filling his father with pride. Brown's masterful use of repetition and rhythm creates a fine read-aloud story. The warm watercolor illustrations incorporate straw and patchwork to evoke a Midwest summer day in this sunny coming-of-age story.-Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN

School Library Journal

Diaz softens his palette and simplifies his lines for a story from Brown, about growing up and steadfast parental love. The little scarecrow boy practices the frightening faces the old man scarecrow makes daily to keep the crows away, but the child remains at home while the adult goes to work. The boy sneaks into the field and plies his trade, but one scary face after the other fails to keep the crows at bay. The sixth and final face does the trickþbut was the old man scarecrow nearby, helping the neophyte? Children who don't mind the creepy contortions of the scarecrows' fiercest faces will love the repetitions of the text, while the happy oranges, reds, and yellows bring sunshine to every page. The deceptively simple story conveys a powerful and reassuring message.

Kirkus Reviews