What do you think?
Rate this book
Otis the Tractor #5
Otis and the Scarecrow
FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING CREATOR OF OTIS AND THE ILLUSTRATOR OF THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD
On the farm where Otis the tractor lives, the farmer has introduced someone new—a scarecrow to shoo away the pesky crows. But when Otis and the animals greet the scarecrow with friendly smiles, the scarecrow’s frown never leaves his face. So everyone leaves him alone.
Then one day, when a cold autumn rain sets in, Otis and the animals snuggle close and play Otis’s favorite game: the quiet game. Otis knows the puppy and ducks can’t sit still for long, and soon the farm friends begin to giggle and squirm, feeling warmed by one another’s friendship . . . but on this day, Otis can't seem to take his eyes off the lonely figure in the cornfield.
A deeply resonant book about subtle acts of compassion and standing up for others, featuring everyone's favorite tractor, Otis.
On the farm where Otis the tractor lives, the farmer has introduced someone new—a scarecrow to shoo away the pesky crows. But when Otis and the animals greet the scarecrow with friendly smiles, the scarecrow’s frown never leaves his face. So everyone leaves him alone.
Then one day, when a cold autumn rain sets in, Otis and the animals snuggle close and play Otis’s favorite game: the quiet game. Otis knows the puppy and ducks can’t sit still for long, and soon the farm friends begin to giggle and squirm, feeling warmed by one another’s friendship . . . but on this day, Otis can't seem to take his eyes off the lonely figure in the cornfield.
A deeply resonant book about subtle acts of compassion and standing up for others, featuring everyone's favorite tractor, Otis.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2014
4 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Loren Long
112 books143 followersI grew up in Lexington, Kentucky in the 1970’s. We had no artists of any kind in the family. We didn’t know any artists. I liked sports, especially baseball. My mother read to me a lot. But I have to admit, my favorite subject in school was gym class. I also liked to draw. My parents encouraged me to keep drawing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
October 28, 2020
I think this is an odd little story, good, but I think something was missing too. It was strange to have the tractor alive with the animals somehow, but it shouldn't matter. I haven't heard of the Otis the Tractor books, but this is the 5th in the series.
Otis is a kind and caring tractor that everyone loves on the farm. I like that about him. [aside: Speaking of kind and caring, it felt amazing to vote for Biden today. I voted!] A scarecrow is brought to the farm and he is all alone in the cornfield with a scowl on his face facing the field. Everyone tries to be nice to him, including Otis, but the scarecrow ignores them all and stays lonely.
Finally, in the fall, during a rainstorm, everyone is gathered together and they see Otis all alone in the field scowling. Otis goes and sits with him in the rain. The best is the last line is the best.
This will be a spoiler if you don't want it abandon here:
"Otis thought the scarecrow didn't look so lonely anymore surrounded by friends." I love this little statement. Sometimes the only thing we can do or help a person who is in pain, lonely or hurting is simply to sit with them and allow them to feel what they feel. Just to be there as witness. I always bring up Whinnie the Pooh. Eeyore is depressed and doesn't want to go to the party and bring others down. Whinnie tells him to come and be himself. They don't try and cheer the donkey up, they simply let him feel his feelings with others around. I simply love that. I find this in the same vein.
Otis is a cute tractor, headlights for eyes and a smile. He looks like an antique tractor and it's very cute. The artwork sets a mood with weather and laughing and all. It's well done. The pumpkins bring in the Halloween, fall flavor.
Otis is a kind and caring tractor that everyone loves on the farm. I like that about him. [aside: Speaking of kind and caring, it felt amazing to vote for Biden today. I voted!] A scarecrow is brought to the farm and he is all alone in the cornfield with a scowl on his face facing the field. Everyone tries to be nice to him, including Otis, but the scarecrow ignores them all and stays lonely.
Finally, in the fall, during a rainstorm, everyone is gathered together and they see Otis all alone in the field scowling. Otis goes and sits with him in the rain. The best is the last line is the best.
This will be a spoiler if you don't want it abandon here:
"Otis thought the scarecrow didn't look so lonely anymore surrounded by friends." I love this little statement. Sometimes the only thing we can do or help a person who is in pain, lonely or hurting is simply to sit with them and allow them to feel what they feel. Just to be there as witness. I always bring up Whinnie the Pooh. Eeyore is depressed and doesn't want to go to the party and bring others down. Whinnie tells him to come and be himself. They don't try and cheer the donkey up, they simply let him feel his feelings with others around. I simply love that. I find this in the same vein.
Otis is a cute tractor, headlights for eyes and a smile. He looks like an antique tractor and it's very cute. The artwork sets a mood with weather and laughing and all. It's well done. The pumpkins bring in the Halloween, fall flavor.
September 10, 2017
When the farmer decides to bring a scarecrow to the farm for the harvesting period, Otis and the animals find he does not fit in. He is not friendly or engage with them, but chooses to plaster a sour look on his face all day long. As atuumn creeps in and everyone is busy, that scarecrow continues to stare from its perch, not saying a word. One day, with the rains pelting down, Otis decides to join the scarecrow and make friends once and for all. Soon the other animals join him and even if the scarecrow says nothing, everyone is sure the newest member of the farm is happy for the friendship. Neo notices some new characters from books we read today and hopes to see the scarecrow again, though a smile would not hurt him. Friends are important and Neo knows that you have to give to some people, who are shy at the start.
November 9, 2018
Otis the tractor and his farmyard friends return in this fifth picture-book devoted to their adventures, this time confronting an unfriendly, uncommunicative newcomer on the farm, in the shape of a sour-looking scarecrow. When their initial friendly overtures are ignored, Otis and the animals seemingly ignore the scarecrow, although the tractor watches him from afar. Then one rainy day in autumn, in the middle of playing a game with his friends, Otis comes to a decision. He gets up, goes over to the scarecrow, and sits in silence with him. The animals follow suit, engaging in the "who can keep silent longest" game recently introduced to them by the tractor, and eventually dissolving into the inevitable hilarity. Although their actions have no visible effect on the scarecrow, the narrative leaves us with the impression that somehow, deep down, the companionship provided by the farm friends has given him some happiness...
Like its predecessors, Otis and the Scarecrow pairs an engaging story with immensely appealing illustrations. The theme here - that of an outsider who is reluctant or unwilling to make friends with the other farm residents - reminded me a bit of Otis and the Tornado , in which the bull, now a part of the friendly gang, angrily rejected all attempts at friendship, until Otis' bravery in saving him won him over. Here, however, we have a somewhat subtler problem. The scarecrow is not angry or hostile, rather, he is withdrawn and unresponsive. His emotional state is unknown, but his solitude suggests loneliness and possibly even depression. Otis' decision to just sit quietly with him, in the hopes that his company might do some good, is a sensitive, thoughtful one. It reminded me a bit of The Rabbit Listened , a recent picture-book from author/illustrator Corrie Doerrfeld which makes the point that sometimes the best way to offer comfort to someone in distress is to just be there, and let them direct the interaction. The open-ended conclusion here, in which the readers never really knows if the scarecrow is positively effected, creates a somewhat more somber feeling than in the other Otis books, something I found entirely appropriate in a story set (mostly) in autumn. Recommended to those who have read and enjoyed the other stories about Otis the tractor, as well as to those looking for children's stories about attempting to deal compassionately with a determined outsider.
Like its predecessors, Otis and the Scarecrow pairs an engaging story with immensely appealing illustrations. The theme here - that of an outsider who is reluctant or unwilling to make friends with the other farm residents - reminded me a bit of Otis and the Tornado , in which the bull, now a part of the friendly gang, angrily rejected all attempts at friendship, until Otis' bravery in saving him won him over. Here, however, we have a somewhat subtler problem. The scarecrow is not angry or hostile, rather, he is withdrawn and unresponsive. His emotional state is unknown, but his solitude suggests loneliness and possibly even depression. Otis' decision to just sit quietly with him, in the hopes that his company might do some good, is a sensitive, thoughtful one. It reminded me a bit of The Rabbit Listened , a recent picture-book from author/illustrator Corrie Doerrfeld which makes the point that sometimes the best way to offer comfort to someone in distress is to just be there, and let them direct the interaction. The open-ended conclusion here, in which the readers never really knows if the scarecrow is positively effected, creates a somewhat more somber feeling than in the other Otis books, something I found entirely appropriate in a story set (mostly) in autumn. Recommended to those who have read and enjoyed the other stories about Otis the tractor, as well as to those looking for children's stories about attempting to deal compassionately with a determined outsider.
October 3, 2024
They all find a way to be inclusive of the Scarecrow.
October 25, 2014
I love this sweet book. Otis the tractor was friends with all of the animals on the farm-dogs, pigs, horses, bulls, ducks, geese, etc. In this warm and friendly story, the farmer brings in a scarecrow to sit in the corn field and scare away the crows. He wears tattered clothes and has a permanent scowl sewn on his face.
Otis and the animals try to befriend him but the scarecrow just looks off into the field, continues frowning, and doesn't speak to them. As the summer turns to fall, Otis works hard but loves gathering with his animal friends for fun and games. He can't help but watch the forlorn scarecrow out in the empty field all alone.
As the cold rains come in and Otis is beneath his favorite apple tree playing the quiet game with the animals who wind up giggling and rolling, he spots the poor lonely scarecrow out alone in the cold rain and winds and does something so wonderful it put tears in my eyes and I know if the scarecrow could cry with his button eyes, he would cry for joy too. I recommend this to anyone of any age who loves a heartwarming story. I know this will be on my list as a gift for children. Beautiful- both the story and the gorgeous color illustrations.
Otis and the animals try to befriend him but the scarecrow just looks off into the field, continues frowning, and doesn't speak to them. As the summer turns to fall, Otis works hard but loves gathering with his animal friends for fun and games. He can't help but watch the forlorn scarecrow out in the empty field all alone.
As the cold rains come in and Otis is beneath his favorite apple tree playing the quiet game with the animals who wind up giggling and rolling, he spots the poor lonely scarecrow out alone in the cold rain and winds and does something so wonderful it put tears in my eyes and I know if the scarecrow could cry with his button eyes, he would cry for joy too. I recommend this to anyone of any age who loves a heartwarming story. I know this will be on my list as a gift for children. Beautiful- both the story and the gorgeous color illustrations.
January 13, 2018
Part of a series about a sentient tractor named Otis. Read this one for the "crossing the cornfield" part of my road narrative project.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comm...
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comm...
June 26, 2019
When I picked this book up in the library, I didn't realize it was part of a series. I was going solely on name recognition (I've read some other books illustrated by Loren Long).
Otis and the Scarecrow is okay, if you like books about anthropomorphized machinery. I find it kind of weird in this case, as the tractor has all kinds of animal friends. (For whatever reason, I didn't find the concept of equipment with human characteristics nearly as difficult to swallow in Anna Dewdney's Little Excavator; that may be because all of the characters were machinery in that one.)
One day, the tractor and animals notice that a scarecrow has been put in the field. They try to engage with it, but it just stands there looking sour and angry. Eventually, they just end up sitting close to it, as if that's an act of friendship.
I'm still confused as to whether the scarecrow was alive and just a surly jerk, or if it was simply inanimate (and the tractor and animals were just naive enough to think they were keeping it company). I guess that could be up to the interpretation of the reader, but I'm not sure I really like the "message" here... whatever it is.
The illustrations are neat. They sort of have a retro feel to them. The tractor... well, again, I just find it weird. He can apparently stand up and sit down, and has such a range of movement that at times I had trouble remember I was looking at a piece of farm equipment. I don't necessarily think that's a good thing, though.
Overall, I didn't love this. Maybe I should've read the first book in the series for my introduction to this little tractor and his friends. As a standalone title, however, Otis and the Scarecrow just didn't work for me as well as I hoped it would.
Otis and the Scarecrow is okay, if you like books about anthropomorphized machinery. I find it kind of weird in this case, as the tractor has all kinds of animal friends. (For whatever reason, I didn't find the concept of equipment with human characteristics nearly as difficult to swallow in Anna Dewdney's Little Excavator; that may be because all of the characters were machinery in that one.)
One day, the tractor and animals notice that a scarecrow has been put in the field. They try to engage with it, but it just stands there looking sour and angry. Eventually, they just end up sitting close to it, as if that's an act of friendship.
I'm still confused as to whether the scarecrow was alive and just a surly jerk, or if it was simply inanimate (and the tractor and animals were just naive enough to think they were keeping it company). I guess that could be up to the interpretation of the reader, but I'm not sure I really like the "message" here... whatever it is.
The illustrations are neat. They sort of have a retro feel to them. The tractor... well, again, I just find it weird. He can apparently stand up and sit down, and has such a range of movement that at times I had trouble remember I was looking at a piece of farm equipment. I don't necessarily think that's a good thing, though.
Overall, I didn't love this. Maybe I should've read the first book in the series for my introduction to this little tractor and his friends. As a standalone title, however, Otis and the Scarecrow just didn't work for me as well as I hoped it would.
August 27, 2014
Otis and the farm animals struggle with the sour-faced scarecrow that's added to the farm, but when a big rainstorm hits they resolve to keep him company.
Not my favorite Otis story. It felt like all the characters were projecting their feelings onto the scarecrow when the scarecrow was just doing its job. The bold move to sit with the scarecrow and keep him company while the rain fell a little flat for me and the cozy ending was just a little too saccharine for my tastes.
Gouache and pencil artwork. PreK-2.
Not my favorite Otis story. It felt like all the characters were projecting their feelings onto the scarecrow when the scarecrow was just doing its job. The bold move to sit with the scarecrow and keep him company while the rain fell a little flat for me and the cozy ending was just a little too saccharine for my tastes.
Gouache and pencil artwork. PreK-2.
September 14, 2014
Two stars for the story: yes, how noble to befriend an unsmiling, 'lonely' scarecrow, but can we call it friendship when it's only one sided? Maybe the scarecrow LIkes to be alone - this story makes it seem like being alone is a bad thing.
Four stars for the interpretive illustrations: the faces, the expressions, the way the objects on the edge of each page imply the fields go on and on and on!
Four stars for the interpretive illustrations: the faces, the expressions, the way the objects on the edge of each page imply the fields go on and on and on!
April 18, 2018
I love the Otis book series. This book though lack the feelings I experienced from other books.
October 2, 2025
3.5 could be better but I enjoyed it and the illustrations are lovely
October 18, 2017
Otis and his friends don't know what to make of the new scarecrow who stands in the pumpkin patch through all the seasons, silent, still and with a grimace on his face while they go about their business on the farm. With a sly twist of humor and an act of kindness one could image a friendship beginning, but the ending falls a bit flat and young audiences will most likely not see a strong message of reaching out to include other from this tale.
July 10, 2019
Otis the tractor, and the animals on the farm, noticed when the farmer put a scarecrow in the cornfield one day. The scarecrow wouldn't speak to anyone all summer. One rainy day after harvest Otis felt sorry for the scarecrow still standing alone and with no friends, so decided to do something about it.
Cute story and great illustrations.
Cute story and great illustrations.
September 7, 2017
The latest entry in the Otis the tractor series pushes the theme of inclusion and friendship a little too far with Otis trying to include the totally non-responsive scarecrow in his circle of farm friends. It feels a bit too didactic.
January 25, 2018
I like Loren Long’s Otis series because of it feel so American to me. Does that make sense? It has tradition and values. This one, though, fell flat to me. At least, the way they handled the scarecrow’s expression at the end was interesting. The illustrations remain pleasant to look at!
May 24, 2020
This one was okay. Beautiful as usual but it felt too far a stretch to make the story happen. There were elements of The Rabbit Listened - accepting those who are quiet. But, it didn’t hit that same sweet note.
August 13, 2018
I love Otis. Every single time, in every single book. They all are sweet in their own way. This one shows how even seemingly grumpy people may be lonely and need friends.
October 9, 2018
Good message, but way too long for even a preschool storytime.
October 25, 2018
The kids love Otis and Colin thought the quiet game was hilarious.
November 13, 2018
IL: LG - BL: 4.3 - AR Pts: 0.5
A cute little story about a tractor named Otis who just wants to befriend the new scarecrow on the farm.
A cute little story about a tractor named Otis who just wants to befriend the new scarecrow on the farm.
September 24, 2019
A sweet book about empathy, but the scowling scarecrow was a little too spooky for Berry this time.
November 5, 2019
sort of sad
September 13, 2021
Otis is a sweet old tractor that seemingly gets along with everyone. He plays games with the farm animals when all is quiet on the farm. They all like the game "silence" to see who can be silent the longest. Otis always wins.
However, one day a scarecrow shows up out in the pumpkin patch. He never talks to anyone and is always got a mean face and just stares. Everybody leaves him alone.
Nobody seems to like him until Otis decides to befriend him with the same game he plays with the animals. Hmm...I wonder who wins this time?
As picture books go, this one is illustrated wonderfully. The Fall colors of oranges. yellows, reds and browns are prevalent throughout. The pictures are bold and the reader can certainly insert themselves on a pumpkin farm.
Like many picture books though, the sentences are repetitive. This may throw off an older reading child as this is targeted for reading ages 3-7 but is clearly for preschoolers up to 4-5. The story is not overly as wonderful as the illustrations are but I think young kids would love it.
I would love to see the story expanded a bit maybe even by some magic of Fall the scarecrow comes alive and befriends them all.
For the reasons I stated above, I give this book three pumpkins.
Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The view expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle
However, one day a scarecrow shows up out in the pumpkin patch. He never talks to anyone and is always got a mean face and just stares. Everybody leaves him alone.
Nobody seems to like him until Otis decides to befriend him with the same game he plays with the animals. Hmm...I wonder who wins this time?
As picture books go, this one is illustrated wonderfully. The Fall colors of oranges. yellows, reds and browns are prevalent throughout. The pictures are bold and the reader can certainly insert themselves on a pumpkin farm.
Like many picture books though, the sentences are repetitive. This may throw off an older reading child as this is targeted for reading ages 3-7 but is clearly for preschoolers up to 4-5. The story is not overly as wonderful as the illustrations are but I think young kids would love it.
I would love to see the story expanded a bit maybe even by some magic of Fall the scarecrow comes alive and befriends them all.
For the reasons I stated above, I give this book three pumpkins.
Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The view expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle
June 14, 2018
Otis is a tractor who loves the fields and is friends with the animals in the farm. One day a scarecrow arrives and he doesn't seem to be interested in joining the others in the fun. At the end, Otis reaches out and the animals follow, but the scarecrow stays there, with the same serious face, and does nothing. Duh, said the little one, it is not alive!
The text is a bit long, not for small kids, but with lots of vocabulary opportunities. The story itself I found a bit bland and I didn't like Otis that much. It's not like he's a bad tractor, not at all, we just didn't click.
The little one thought the book was OK and didn't seem too excited.
The text is a bit long, not for small kids, but with lots of vocabulary opportunities. The story itself I found a bit bland and I didn't like Otis that much. It's not like he's a bad tractor, not at all, we just didn't click.
The little one thought the book was OK and didn't seem too excited.
November 13, 2021
I picked it up from the library because it was just there with the Fall theme collection and had no idea what it was supposed to be about. The illustrations were really nice, so picked it up. It was so-so and then as I am writing this review I see what it is supposed to be about "A deeply resonant book about subtle acts of compassion and standing up for others." Really? A tractor wanting to be friends or trying to get the attention of a scarecrow is being compassion or standing up for others? I didn't get that at all...
I will say the kids didn't get, but we all agreed the artwork was excellent, thus the 3 stars.
I will say the kids didn't get, but we all agreed the artwork was excellent, thus the 3 stars.
November 19, 2017
Fantasy. 2014. Otis the tractor and his animal friends on the farm notice the farmer has brought a scarecrow onto the land. Otis and his friends do their best to befriend the scarecrow but nothing seems to work. I choose to give this book two starts because Otis and his friends do try and reach out to the scarecrow, who doesn't look so happy, but in the end their efforts do nothing. I wish that the ending would teach kids that reaching out will make a difference, because it truly does.
March 13, 2022
Grade range:1-4
Genre: modern fantasy
This book was super cute! I loved how kind Otis is to the scare crow even though his other friends weren't so sure about the scarecrow. I think that this is a great message to teach to students. After all we never know what our peers are going through and a little bit of kindness can go a long way. As teachers I believe that it is our job to teach students kindness and understanding.
Genre: modern fantasy
This book was super cute! I loved how kind Otis is to the scare crow even though his other friends weren't so sure about the scarecrow. I think that this is a great message to teach to students. After all we never know what our peers are going through and a little bit of kindness can go a long way. As teachers I believe that it is our job to teach students kindness and understanding.
October 6, 2023
An impressive children’s book that presents compassion towards a hardened outsider with subtlety and sensitivity. There’s no outright “kumbayah, we’ve become friends and everything is peachy” sort of resolution, but ambiguous though the ending may be, you’re still left with a warm feeling that the beginnings of a connection has been made.
October 3, 2019
I love Otis. A sweet story about being kind to those that may not be able to communicate like others do. Otis is such a patient, kind, happy little tractor, and a leader on his farm. Such great illustrations!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews