Hopefully the Scarecrow

by Michelle Houts, Sara Palacios (Illustrator)

Overview

"A beautifully crafted friendship tale that’s just right for storytime." --Kirkus

The perfect Fall book for kids! A poignant picture book about a scarecrow who befriends the young girl who reads to him day after day until one day he's left wondering where she is.

A scarecrow stood in the garden. Tall, proud, and smiling. Every day a girl brought her favorite books to the garden and she read to him. He heard tales of courage and of hope. And when she said, "The End," the scarecrow always felt a little bit taller and braver. Year after year, she came and she read to him.

Until one spring, two different hands picked him up from the garden shed and placed him in the garden. He waited, but she didn't come to read to him.

With poignant words from award-winning author Michelle Houts and lush illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor winner Sara Palacios, Hopefully the Scarecrow is a tender distillation of the enduring power of friendship and a heartwarming look at the ways stories connect us.

Perfect for fans of The Leaf Thief, Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, and The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry and The Fan Bros! 

A great Back-to-School, Autumn, or Halloween read! 

Praise for Hopefully the Scarecrow:

"This is one of the BEST picture books I’ve read so far in 2023. Its writing is clever. The story is well-constructed. And, it made me feel warm and fuzzy things." --Pat Zietlow-Miller, author of Be Kind and Wherever You Go

"A simply told, emotionally satisfying picture book." --Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593206911
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/08/2023
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michelle Houts writes from a restored one-room schoolhouse in Ohio. When she’s not writing, she’s either reading or kayaking. Houts has written more than a dozen picture books and novels for young readers. You can visit Michelle Houts at MichelleHouts.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter @MHoutsWrites and on Facebook @MichelleHouts.

Sara Palacios is the illustrator of many books for children. She is also the recipient of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor for her work on Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match and the Américas Book Award for Between Us and Abuela. She earned her BFA and MFA degrees in illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. You can visit Sara Palacios online at SaraPalaciosIllustrations.com.

Editorial Reviews

"This is one of the BEST picture books I’ve read so far in 2023. Its writing is clever. The story is well-constructed. And, it made me feel warm and fuzzy things." --Pat Zietlow-Miller, author of Be Kind and Wherever You Go

"Friendship can withstand time and distance thanks to hope. Houts’ precise, evocative text employs rich vocabulary and will appeal to imaginative youngsters. Palacios’ enchanting illustrations combine a vivid palette of reds, oranges, greens, and blues with an irresistible retro style that lends a timelessness to images of dragons, castles, sailing ships, and tiny scarecrow hero's that accompany scenes of the girl reading aloud. A quiet, beautifully crafted friendship tale that’s just right for storytime." -Kirkus reviews


"The gentle, smoothly written narrative revolves around the scarecrow, a silent, sympathetic character who asks for nothing but appreciates what he receives. The colorful, distinctive illustrations focus on the two main characters, often surrounded by a profusion of flowers that express the idyllic happiness of their times together. A simply told, emotionally satisfying picture book." —Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 10/27/2023

PreS-Gr 2—This is the story of an optimistic scarecrow who each summer is taken out of the shed by a young girl and placed in a flower-filled garden where he is read to. The girl's stories sustain the scarecrow when he is alone during the winter. However, one year a different person removes him from the shed, and no one reads to him. The girl in the story is dark-haired with warm skin tones, and could be interpreted variously as Latinx, South Asian, or any of an array of identities. However, readers are more likely to identify with the scarecrow, who "knew he was created/ with loving hands" and continues to trust and hope in his friend, even when he doesn't understand why things have changed. With the gentle pathos of an Oscar Wilde fairy tale but with a warm consoling ending, this tale is precise and poetic, with a lyrical cadence and deft imagery that makes it perfect for reading aloud. Young readers will enjoy inferring the reason for the girl's absence, as well as the endearing misunderstanding behind the book's title. The comforting tone of the story is perfectly matched by the cheery illustrations. Images are simply rendered in mixed media, with minimal lines, clear facial expressions, and a two-dimensional quality which creates a nostalgic collage-like effect. The color palette is distinctly vintage, with autumnal shades of orange dominating, offset by muted greens and blues. VERDICT A touching, beautifully illustrated picture book which affirms the enduring value of reading, and is highly recommended, not just as a seasonal title, but all year around.—Leonie Jordan

School Library Journal

2023-05-09
Friendship can withstand time and distance thanks to hope.

A smiling scarecrow, “carefully crafted” and “wonderfully made,” in plaid flannel and a straw hat, watches over a lush and vibrant garden. A brown-skinned, dark-haired girl places him in the garden each spring and reads him adventure-filled stories each day, making the scarecrow feel brave. When winter comes, the stories keep him company during long months alone in a dark tool shed. The girl’s remark—“Hopefully, the scarecrow will keep the birds away”—gives the scarecrow his name and purpose. Excited about the next spring, which he is sure will be filled with stories from his friend, Hopefully is first perplexed, then lonely when someone else places him in the garden and months go by without any sign of his friend. One day, the girl reappears, having since grown up, and moves Hopefully to a new place—one filled with stories and which offers her intrepid friend a new purpose in life. Ideal for read-alouds, Houts’ precise, evocative text employs rich vocabulary and will appeal to imaginative youngsters. Palacios’ enchanting illustrations combine a vivid palette of reds, oranges, greens, and blues with an irresistible retro style that lends a timelessness to images of dragons, castles, sailing ships, and tiny scarecrow heroes that accompany scenes of the girl reading aloud. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A quiet, beautifully crafted friendship tale that’s just right for storytime. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews