So begins Margaret Wise Brown's long lost treasure about a little scarecrow boy and the lessons he learns from his scarecrow father every day of the world, until the time he decides to test his knowledge and himself. Published here for the first time as a picture book, The Little Scarecrow Boy is a timeless story about the things children cherish family, home, and their place in the world. Tender and funny, it celebrates the tradition of passing knowledge from one generation to the next, and the exuberance that comes with reaching one's full potential. Known for his stunning design and breathtaking craftsmanship, Caldecott medal recipient, David Diaz declares an entirely new direction with The Little Scarecrow Boy. He perfectly captures the essence of this all-but-forgotten gem of a story with a bright palette and a remarkably fresh, childlike view of the world.

ANNOTATION

Early one morning, a little scarecrow whose father warns him that he is not fierce enough to frighten a crow goes out into the cornfield alone.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Once upon a time in a cornfield there lived a scarecrow and his scarecrow wife and their little scarecrow boy." So begins Margaret Wise Brown's long lost treasure about a little scarecrow boy and the lessons he learns from his scarecrow father every day of the world, until the time he decides to test his knowledge and himself. Published here for the first time as a picture book, The Little Scarecrow Boy is a timeless story about the things children cherish family, home, and their place in the world. Tender and funny, it celebrates the tradition of passing knowledge from one generation to the next, and the exuberance that comes with reaching one's full potential. Known for his stunning design and breathtaking craftsmanship, Caldecott medal recipient, David Diaz declares an entirely new direction with The Little Scarecrow Boy. He perfectly captures the essence of this all-but-forgotten gem of a story with a bright palette and a remarkably fresh, childlike view of the world.

Author Biography: Margaret Wise Brown's contribution to children's literature is legendary. Her many popular books, including Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, Little Fur Family, and The Big Red Barn, continue to delight young listeners and readers year after year.

FROM THE CRITICS

Horn Magazine

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.

Publishers 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

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.

Children's Literature - Linnea Hendrickson

At first glance, one would never guess that David Diaz illustrated this book. There are no black-outlined, stylized figures, no trademark borders; the colors are so light and translucent, the smiling face on the cover so innocuous, that one might be tempted to pass it by. This would be a mistake. A second look reveals an attention to placement of text, layout of pages, and elements of design that are consistent with Diaz's earlier and very different work. The story, by that "laureate of the nursery," Margaret Wise Brown, has, like the best of Brown's stories, certain felicities of phrase -- "Every day of the world," and "So every day the little scarecrow boy stayed at home all day and just grew." and a certain intriguing ambiguity-Is it really little scarecrow boy's sixth fierce face that scares the crows, or is his father? The lightness of touch, and the silliness of the scary straw faces, combined with Diaz's sure sense of design, as in the spread illustrating "But early in the morning when he sun came up...," with its enormous sun face, overlapping text box, and colorful ears of corn, make this an altogether satisfying work that could become a nursery classic.

School Library Journal

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 Read all 6 "From The Critics" >