What do you think?
Rate this book
Το σκιάχτρο
Όλα τα ζώα ξέρουν καλά ότι δεν πρέπει να πλησιάζουν το γέρικο Σκιάχτρο. Όταν όμως ένα μικρό, τρομαγμένο κοράκι πέφτει από τον ουρανό, το Σκιάχτρο κάνει κάτι αναπάντεχο... Το σώζει! Σύντομα ένας στενός δεσμός αναπτύσσεται ανάμεσα στους δύο αταίριαστους φίλους. Είναι όμως αρκετά δυνατός για να αντέξει στον χρόνο;
Μια υπέροχη, τρυφερή ιστορία από τους μοναδικούς Αδερφούς Φαν και τη δημοφιλή συγγραφέα Μπεθ Φέρι, για την αξία της φιλίας και της αλληλεγγύης.
Μια υπέροχη, τρυφερή ιστορία από τους μοναδικούς Αδερφούς Φαν και τη δημοφιλή συγγραφέα Μπεθ Φέρι, για την αξία της φιλίας και της αλληλεγγύης.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2019
12 people are currently reading
917 people want to read
About the author
Beth Ferry
43 books152 followersBeth Ferry is the author of the picture books Stick and Stone and Land Shark. Her family has cared for myriad pets, including two land sharks, a hedgehog, a blue-tongued skink, and a heap of hamsters, but her absolutely perfect pet is an English bulldog named Winston. She lives in New Jersey.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews
October 27, 2019
This year I've labeled a handful of children's books favorites for the year. The Scarecrow tops all of them for 2019.
He never rests.
He never bends.
He's never had a single friend,
for all the woodland creatures know
not to mess with old Scarecrow.
The story opens with a lonely scarecrow who does his job well scaring away all the animals that make a nuisance of themselves in the fields. All the local animals know not to mess with him, and because of this, Scarecrow has no friends and stands all by his lonesome all through the seasons. One special day, something drops from the sky and Scarecrow does something totally unexpected.
The Night Gardener is one of our favorite books, so I knew the illustrations by the Fan Brothers wouldn't disappoint. We've also enjoyed a few other books by Beth Ferry. The illustrations capture all the emotions of the beautifully written, rhyming text. This is a heartwarming story of love, friendship, compassion, and loneliness. It's also a poignant reminder that love can always be given, but never taken.
The world needs more books like this! Get this book and read it with your child! You won't be disappointed. Highly recommend for everyone of any age.
5*****
He never rests.
He never bends.
He's never had a single friend,
for all the woodland creatures know
not to mess with old Scarecrow.
The story opens with a lonely scarecrow who does his job well scaring away all the animals that make a nuisance of themselves in the fields. All the local animals know not to mess with him, and because of this, Scarecrow has no friends and stands all by his lonesome all through the seasons. One special day, something drops from the sky and Scarecrow does something totally unexpected.
The Night Gardener is one of our favorite books, so I knew the illustrations by the Fan Brothers wouldn't disappoint. We've also enjoyed a few other books by Beth Ferry. The illustrations capture all the emotions of the beautifully written, rhyming text. This is a heartwarming story of love, friendship, compassion, and loneliness. It's also a poignant reminder that love can always be given, but never taken.
The world needs more books like this! Get this book and read it with your child! You won't be disappointed. Highly recommend for everyone of any age.
5*****
October 27, 2019
A beautiful childrens book with a very special message about how important friendship is and what it takes to develop and maintain the same. A story of faith, trust, and believing in oneself as well as the friendships one creates. I loved this book and would recommend it to all to read! You won't be disappointed. The illustrations are wonderful throughout!
November 21, 2020
Wow! This is probably the Best picture book I've read All year. I wasn't sure if this was Halloween or not and it's NOT. This is seasonal, but it's more a story about love and caring for something. It's a special story that needs attention. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
The artwork blew me away. I mean, all the colors and the play of light and the details. This artwork is amazing. It captures the seasons and the animals and oh my. What a delight! I will have to look for the Fan brothers from now on, because they proved themselves with this. I can't believe it didn't win a Caldecott. There is nothing I've seen in 2019 that was better than this. I'm blown away.
I love the rhyme and the story and it's told so beautifully. We meed a scarecrow out in the field alone and the animals are scared of it. The scarecrow keeps the animals away during Fall and Winter and then in Spring something happens. A baby crow falls from its nest and scarecrow bends down and scoops it up and lets it grow in his heart. I love that phrase. The crow grows and flys off and the scarecrow is lonely again.
I simply love the happy ending. Warm fuzzies flooded me through the reading of the whole story. This story had me. It's special. You really need to read this story and see the magic of it.
I don't know how much kids would like it. I can see the nephew and niece having liked it and I can see them being a bit bored, so I don't know what they would do, but it's a great story and I think it needs to be read.
The artwork blew me away. I mean, all the colors and the play of light and the details. This artwork is amazing. It captures the seasons and the animals and oh my. What a delight! I will have to look for the Fan brothers from now on, because they proved themselves with this. I can't believe it didn't win a Caldecott. There is nothing I've seen in 2019 that was better than this. I'm blown away.
I love the rhyme and the story and it's told so beautifully. We meed a scarecrow out in the field alone and the animals are scared of it. The scarecrow keeps the animals away during Fall and Winter and then in Spring something happens. A baby crow falls from its nest and scarecrow bends down and scoops it up and lets it grow in his heart. I love that phrase. The crow grows and flys off and the scarecrow is lonely again.
I simply love the happy ending. Warm fuzzies flooded me through the reading of the whole story. This story had me. It's special. You really need to read this story and see the magic of it.
I don't know how much kids would like it. I can see the nephew and niece having liked it and I can see them being a bit bored, so I don't know what they would do, but it's a great story and I think it needs to be read.
October 15, 2019
A moving story about the unlikely friendship between an injured baby crow and a lonely scarecrow. Nicely illustrated by the Fan brothers, but overshadowed by Beth Ferry's rhymes and her message.
September 16, 2019
I had to have this book! I have Night Gardener and Ocean Meets Sky which The Fan Brothers have authored and illustrated plus the Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater which they also illustrated. These stories are wonderful but it is the illustrations that draws you in compelling you to slowly turn each page whilst drinking it all in. This story is a little different...its a beautiful poem of friendship and helping others for the mere joy of it. It flows so well that you can almost hear music. It isn’t sing-songy...it flutters as if on a gentle breeze. The scenes on the pages are in complete synchronicity with the poem. Beth Ferry has expertly told a simple story that even a small child will understand and love. Including a child like me...
Note: My two grandsons ages 4 and 2 love this book as they do the others. They called me today to tell me they got their book.
Note: My two grandsons ages 4 and 2 love this book as they do the others. They called me today to tell me they got their book.
August 31, 2019
Standing in his field through the seasons of the year, the eponymous Scarecrow is a solitary, friendless figure, one who does not know joy or companionship. Then a baby crow crashes to the ground near his feet, and everything changes. The Scarecrow adopts the hatchling, sheltering him and cheering him on as he grows. But when the crow takes flight, leaving the Scarecrow all alone again, is it the end of their unusual friendship...?
Given my great love of the Fan Brothers and their phenomenal artwork, I have been looking forward to The Scarecrow for some time, and picked it up today with a pleasant feeling of expectation. Although I wouldn't describe it as quite the equal of some of their earlier books - The Night Gardener or Ocean Meets Sky are personal favorites - it was quite lovely. The rhyming text from author Beth Ferry is sweet, and her tale heartwarming, while the artwork, created using pencil, ballpoint and Photoshop, was charming. I particularly enjoyed the autumn and winter scenes, as those are my favorite seasons. Recommended to anyone looking for beautiful new picture-books about friendship and/or the seasons.
Given my great love of the Fan Brothers and their phenomenal artwork, I have been looking forward to The Scarecrow for some time, and picked it up today with a pleasant feeling of expectation. Although I wouldn't describe it as quite the equal of some of their earlier books - The Night Gardener or Ocean Meets Sky are personal favorites - it was quite lovely. The rhyming text from author Beth Ferry is sweet, and her tale heartwarming, while the artwork, created using pencil, ballpoint and Photoshop, was charming. I particularly enjoyed the autumn and winter scenes, as those are my favorite seasons. Recommended to anyone looking for beautiful new picture-books about friendship and/or the seasons.
April 20, 2019
The illustrations by the Fan Brothers are exquisite (as all their work is) and the story itself is sweet and lovely but the actual text lets the rest of the package down. It's in rhyme and there are places where both the rhythm and the rhyme feel forced and awkward. Had Ms. Ferry chosen prose or free verse in which to tell her tale, this could have been truly magical. There's still magic to be found, but it's not as shiny and sparkly as it could have been.
June 8, 2019
What a beautiful book! I loved the simple, rhyming phrases that tell the story of a lonely scarecrow who decides to help a baby crow and the friendship that blossoms. The illustrations are stunning and match the text so well. The Fan brothers are quickly becoming some of my favorite illustrators.
March 12, 2021
Υπέροχη εικονογράφηση. Μηνύματα φιλίας και αλληλεγγύης.
February 28, 2023
A lonely scarecrow dares to care for his natural enemy, a baby crow, forging a friendship that lasts for many years, despite inborn animosities. It's a beautiful story of the power of love, with gentle rhythm and lovely illustrations.
October 5, 2019
It's the Fan Brothers! How can I not love it? Amazing illustrations match this story about seasons and friendship
May 27, 2020
Wonderful
October 28, 2019
Throughout the seasons, Scarecrow guards the fields, keeping the deer, crows and other animals away. He has no friends and none of the animals have any contact with him. He is alone. Then one spring, a baby crow falls from its nest. Scarecrow does something he has never done before. He beds down and saves that little crow, tucking it safely into his overalls. The two become immediate friends and steadily the crow grows larger and is able to fly. They spend their days and nights together, until one day the crow flies away. Scarecrow is left along again, on a broken pole in the winter snow. Still, seasons change and as spring returns there is hope.
Ferry has written a captivating story about a very lonely scarecrow who makes one compassionate choice that changes his entire existence. Ferry takes time to make sure that readers understand the profound loneliness of the scarecrows time on his pole and then the delight of him moving is a wonderful surprise. The story has a great structure and arc that children will love, watching the relationship build and the seasons change.
As always, the Fan Brothers are superb. In this book, the illustrations are done in pencil, ballpoint and digitally. The landscapes are lush are seasonal, the golden sun of autumn, the muted colors of winter. The painted face of the scarecrow manages to show real emotion somehow without really moving until he is truly distressed.
A great fall read that will work for springtime too. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Ferry has written a captivating story about a very lonely scarecrow who makes one compassionate choice that changes his entire existence. Ferry takes time to make sure that readers understand the profound loneliness of the scarecrows time on his pole and then the delight of him moving is a wonderful surprise. The story has a great structure and arc that children will love, watching the relationship build and the seasons change.
As always, the Fan Brothers are superb. In this book, the illustrations are done in pencil, ballpoint and digitally. The landscapes are lush are seasonal, the golden sun of autumn, the muted colors of winter. The painted face of the scarecrow manages to show real emotion somehow without really moving until he is truly distressed.
A great fall read that will work for springtime too. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
November 14, 2019
The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Eric & Terry Fan was an unexpected delight. The story opens with a scarecrow in the field alone. He does his job of scaring away all the animals very well. They all know to stay out of that field and away from that scarecrow, but does he do his job too well? The scarecrow is alone, and lonely. Then, one day, something drops from the sky and Scarecrow does something totally unexpected. Will he finally have a friend?
I read this book to my three year old granddaughter and six year old grandson at separate times. She loved the illustrations and we talked about the message in the story. She felt bad for the scarecrow and wanted the animals to like him. When I read it to my grandson, we talked about friendship and how important it is to be a friend in order to make a friend. He was very happy with the ending of the story and wanted to read it again. The story is written in a rhyming format that has a great cadence and is easy to read aloud. The illustrations are wonderful. The emotions are shown in a subtle way, but easy to determine in the illustrations as well as the text. We enjoyed this story and after borrowing this book from the library, we will be purchasing a copy for our home library. I definitely recommend this book for classroom and school libraries.
I read this book to my three year old granddaughter and six year old grandson at separate times. She loved the illustrations and we talked about the message in the story. She felt bad for the scarecrow and wanted the animals to like him. When I read it to my grandson, we talked about friendship and how important it is to be a friend in order to make a friend. He was very happy with the ending of the story and wanted to read it again. The story is written in a rhyming format that has a great cadence and is easy to read aloud. The illustrations are wonderful. The emotions are shown in a subtle way, but easy to determine in the illustrations as well as the text. We enjoyed this story and after borrowing this book from the library, we will be purchasing a copy for our home library. I definitely recommend this book for classroom and school libraries.
August 13, 2020
Touching story of a scarecrow and his special relationship with a baby crow.
Gorgeous illustrations by the Fan Brothers.
Gorgeous illustrations by the Fan Brothers.
December 20, 2019
I picked this up for the Fan Brothers’ art, and their art is - of course - as lovely as ever. But without the moody fantasia that accompanies their own original stories, it’s missing that magic that makes it special. This is just a very nice picture book about a lonely scarecrow and a lonely baby crow who become friends.
The words have a satisfying rhythm and this would probably make a nice read-aloud.
The story doesn’t seem to know if it wants to be purely realistic - inanimate scarecrow in the field - or magical realism - a scarecrow that moves and has emotions. It teeters-totters between the two. Frankly, that makes the entire thing unintentionally creepy, but a child probably won’t see it that way.
The words have a satisfying rhythm and this would probably make a nice read-aloud.
Autumn sunshine.
Haystacks rolled.
Scarecrow guards the fields of gold.
No one enters.
No one dares.
Scarecrow stands alone and scares
the fox and deer,
the mice and crows.
It’s all he does. It’s all he knows.
The story doesn’t seem to know if it wants to be purely realistic - inanimate scarecrow in the field - or magical realism - a scarecrow that moves and has emotions. It teeters-totters between the two. Frankly, that makes the entire thing unintentionally creepy, but a child probably won’t see it that way.
April 30, 2023
The marvelous textured drawings bring me right into the story and location. I can practically touch the hay, the tree leaves, the scarecrow.
The story is a moving one about the value of friendship and how you have to give something in order to have a friend.
My favorite scene? The return of the crow seasons later and the grateful reunion, highlighted with a rainbow.
The story is a moving one about the value of friendship and how you have to give something in order to have a friend.
My favorite scene? The return of the crow seasons later and the grateful reunion, highlighted with a rainbow.
September 17, 2020
Scarecrow stands and guards the fields faithfully through all the seasons. The animals know to be wary of it, so it stands alone. But one day a baby crow falls out of its nest and needs a safe place, and Scarecrow's life changes forever.
Such a sweet story of unexpected friendship between two who are technically supposed to be enemies. The rhyming text is put together beautifully, and the Fan brothers artwork is amazing as usual. If you're looking for a tenderhearted story of friendship that knows no bounds, snatch this up.
Such a sweet story of unexpected friendship between two who are technically supposed to be enemies. The rhyming text is put together beautifully, and the Fan brothers artwork is amazing as usual. If you're looking for a tenderhearted story of friendship that knows no bounds, snatch this up.
August 5, 2019
Beautiful book. Beautiful story.
September 10, 2019
Super touching story. Rhythmic writing. Out of this world illustrations.
September 22, 2019
Beautiful poetry and illustrations. Friendship, selflessness, and love love love. This one is a heartprint book!
November 14, 2019
Lovely, lovely little book with a deep meaning behind the story. Beautifully illustrated too.
December 1, 2019
The rhyme, the rhythm, the story, and the illustrations are woven together seamlessly into a sac that gently holds the reader's heart with love and with hope. My favorite picture book of 2019.
September 27, 2024
Beautiful illustrations! Beautiful story about friendship.
June 15, 2024
I've read this to my youngest every night for the past three weeks and don't see myself ever getting sick if it. Truly a delight.
September 25, 2019
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is The Scarecrow, written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by The Fan Brothers, a heartwarming tale of friendship and family.
A lone scarecrow stands in a field, posted upright in the ground. His presence does its job; deer, foxes, fieldmice and crows (naturally) keep their distance from his ever-vigilant watch. However, this leaves scarecrow rather lonely – with no one to come near, there’s no one to make friends with. That is until the day something small and fluffy falls – plop! – to the ground. A hatchling crow lies helplessly on the cold ground and, moved to kindness, the scarecrow breaks his pole to bend down and care for the baby. As the two become close friends, Scarecrow watches as the baby bird grows into a crow, and realizes that his friend will someday have the power to fly away and leave him. Heartbroken but wanting to be supportive, he encourages the crow, until the fateful day arrives. Watching his friend fly off into the distance, the scarecrow sags, now lacking both his pole and his friendship to keep him upright. All through fall, winter, and spring, the scarecrow wallows in his loneliness – until a familiar face reappears to usher in a new chapter of friendship and gratitude.
Magical. This incredibly beautiful tale is a perfect blend of the gently flowing, emotionally evocative rhyming text and the Fan Brothers’ stunning illustrations. The meticulously detailed yet dreamy scenes that are the Fans’ trademark work perfectly in this classic tale of kindness, especially in Scarecrow’s endearing facial expressions and how the change of seasons reflect his emotional state. Ferry’s gentle, powerful rhymes tell a timeless story in a succinct yet poetic style, and the ending is so pitch perfect that it may bring a tear to your eye. Lastly, the metaphors of sacrifice, trust, generosity, and family are beautifully interwoven. This has all the makings of a new fall classic, and one that can fortunately be enjoyed year-round. The length was great, and JJ and I both adored it. A wonderfully special book to share with the people you love, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
October 21, 2020
The rhythm of the text was quite impressive. But the illustrations, though still very beautiful, did not impress me much albeit for a few frames.
October 27, 2019
A sweet story about a lasting friendship between a crow and a scarecrow proving that with some loving kindness we can still be friends with those who are our adversaries. After scarecrow nurses a baby crow back to health, the crow flies off and the scarecrow is broken hearted. But the next spring, the crow returns to his old friend. The gentle rhyme makes it perfect to use as a read aloud.
September 29, 2019
This is a great book to read for fall. My 6 and 2.5year old both liked the illustrations and the story. I always have a soft spot for books that rhyme.
October 3, 2019
BEAUTIFUL
Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews