Erin and Terry Fan are at it again with their lovely illustrations in The Scarecrow. These works of art are the right colors, tone and filled with details that fit the theme and feel of the story. And while the story is a tad too sugary (in parts) for me, the illustrations help calm that effect.
With that said, Beth Ferry created a lovely book about love, friendship and possibly you could even say that it is a little bit about adoption as well. When a scarecrow finds a hurt baby crow, he takes care of it, until the inevitable happens. The crow is a bird. Birds must fly. And the crow does fly away. Then, through the seasons, the pain of being a scarecrow (bent posts, lost stuffing, etc.) is seen. Until finally, it is spring, and a very special surprise happens.
Due to the “deeper” elements (that frankly can be a bit more than just sad, they can be downright eerie) this is for the older crowd. And due to the nature of the pace of the book and lack of traditional action, the more active child might not want to sit and listen.
The story is sweet and modern. There is a classical feel as well. It is a mix of styles in that way but is solidly a realistic looking book. Due to how the scarecrow takes care of the crow, this probably would work best as a book given to a child who is adopted (the crow and scarecrow obviously do not look alike). It does not lend itself to an easily “sit down and read” otherwise.