Scarecrow Magic

Starred review from July 27, 2015
Masessa (The Time Travelers’ Journal) and Myers (Battle Bunny) conjure up a truly eerie vision of what a scarecrow gets up to during his off-duty hours, cavorting with beasts and creepy crawlies of every stripe under the unholy light of a yellow-green moon. As if the idea of the scarecrow undoing “the ropes that are binding him tight” isn’t unnerving enough, a page turn has the scarecrow stripping off his skin to reveal a grinning skeleton underneath—albeit one who keeps his boxer shorts on when he dives into a nearby pond. Myers deploys a supporting cast of pine trees come alive, bird-haystack hybrids, and other oddities that are perfectly synced to Masessa’s incantatory rhymes (“Shadows take on a life of their own./ They growl and they grumble. They ramble and roam”). Halloween-worthy chills for any time of year. Ages 3–5. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

August 1, 2015
What happens to a scarecrow under the glow of a full moon? He leads a night of fun and frolic with other nocturnal creepy creatures. Masessa creates suspense with steady rhyming text: "Hung from a post, a man made of straw / Moves a finger, a hand, an eyebrow, a jaw. // The magic is building. The ground comes alive. / Troublesome creatures begin to arrive." Readers will observe oddly shaped beings emerging from the soil and appearing in jagged silhouettes on the horizon. Fantastical ghouls of many types come running to join the scarecrow in his field. But a page turn shows him as "He jumps from his post, landing light as a pin. / With a zip and a swoosh, he slips out of his skin." The double-page spread shows the scarecrow stripped down to his skeletal self (but for polka-dot boxers) and gleefully jumping into the pond. Soon the goblins are jumping rope and bowling with pumpkins and gourds, and each monster hides "while skeleton seeks!" But soon the sun begins to rise, and the creatures must "blend into the shadows" or "burrow down low" while Scarecrow "zips up his skin" and climbs back to his post. Myers expertly paints highly detailed and textured illustrations to bring all the nighttime antics to life. Even though the various creatures look scary at first glance, a closer look reveals their toothy grins and playful behavior. Share with kids who like their spooky stories more silly than scary. (Picture book. 3-6)

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September 1, 2015

Gr 1-3-A scarecrow with a sinister look is featured in this eerie fall time book. Every night as the moon glows, a scarecrow begins to come to life. "Hung from a post, a man made of straw/Moves a finger, a hand, an eyebrow, a jaw." After slipping out of his skin, he is a skeleton and is joined by other troublesome creatures to play. Games such as pumpkin bowling and double Dutch are shown as the goblins and ghouls eat treats, such as slimy fresh worms, all through the night. As the sun begins to shine, the creatures all return to where they came from. Myers's acrylic illustrations are truly spooky, especially when the scarecrow loses his skin, and could make the book a touch too scary for young ones. VERDICT This chilling fall book is perfect for elementary students who are not quite ready for Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.-Brooke Newberry, La Crosse Public Library, WI

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