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499th out of 501 books
—
486 voters
The Scarecrow's Dance
Jane Yolen introduces us to the fickle scarecrow, who decides to leave his station and dance away the fall night. He leaps through the fields until he reaches the farmhouse, where he sees a small light in the window. Inside, a boy is saying his prayers, and he offers up a special prayer for the corn that will be harvested in the morning. Humbled, the scarecrow knows what h...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
August 25th 2009
by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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ISBN 1416937706 - This book looks like the perfect book for the season, which was my reason for choosing it. I only wish I liked it as much after reading it as I liked the idea of it before I read it.
The scarecrow finds himself suddenly free of the pole that he's always stood on, watching over the corn. The freedom is exhilarating and the winds carry him, dancing, across the farm and to a window of the farmhouse. There, he overhears a young boy's prayers for the things that keep his family safe...more
The scarecrow finds himself suddenly free of the pole that he's always stood on, watching over the corn. The freedom is exhilarating and the winds carry him, dancing, across the farm and to a window of the farmhouse. There, he overhears a young boy's prayers for the things that keep his family safe...more
The poetry in this book is beautiful, but the images of the scarecrow scared the hell out of me. I hate scarecrows like others hate clowns, so if you also have a fear of the stuffed man then steer clear of this book!
"He shrugged his shoulders,
And a grin
Just like a corn row,
And as thin,
broke out along
His painted face.
He gave a leap--
And left his place."
Run for your life, kids! Scarecrow's off his stick!
"He pirouetted
On the lane,
And then into
The yard he came.
Ahead he saw
A yellow light,
The family t...more
"He shrugged his shoulders,
And a grin
Just like a corn row,
And as thin,
broke out along
His painted face.
He gave a leap--
And left his place."
Run for your life, kids! Scarecrow's off his stick!
"He pirouetted
On the lane,
And then into
The yard he came.
Ahead he saw
A yellow light,
The family t...more
This was a book with very beautiful illustrations, and a lovely poem. The kids were very enthusiastic about the whimsical and somewhat magical nature of this book. Toward the end, though, the poem became became a bit abstract, no, philosophical and even spiritual. Toward the end it definitely felt like it was aimed a bit more at adults than kids.
Jane Yolen is a bit of a hit and miss author for me, but I really thought that her writing and Bagram Ibatoulline's illustrations blended beautifully f...more
Jane Yolen is a bit of a hit and miss author for me, but I really thought that her writing and Bagram Ibatoulline's illustrations blended beautifully f...more
Jul 10, 2011
Stephanie Kahn
added it
In The Scarecrow’s Dance a scarecrow is magically released from his post in the corn field. He happily dances past familiar farm sights until he gets to the farm house. He finds a boy praying for everything important in his little life including the scarecrow. At this moment the scarecrow realizes that he must return to his place on the post. Jane Yolen creates a wonderful rhythm and rhyme that children will enjoy. Adults will appreciate the heart-warming theme that everyone has a purpose. The u...more
A scarecrow hops down off is pole to take a stroll though the cornfields. He finds himself at the farmhouse where he observes a boy praying. The young boy prayers for each of the animals and then prays for the scarecrow to keep the fields clear of crows. The scarecrow finally understands why is so important that he dances back to his post and leaps up onto his stand.
Another fabulous book from Jane Yolen!
Another fabulous book from Jane Yolen!
I'm not always a fan of poem picturebooks, but Jane Yolen's newest is completely engaging and is paired with gorgeous illustrations that perfectly match the mood of the piece. The whole thing is perfect for autumn; somber and joyful, you can almost taste the crisp air as you're reading.
A scarecrow takes a dancing flight in a big wind on an autumn evening after he breaks loose of his post. He happens to stop at the window of a boy. He hears the prayer of this boy and learns that he holds an important job, and returns to do his job, a job that only he can do.
The book is poetic and inspiring. Young children will enjoy the story and illustrations, dorky middle aged English teachers will love the metaphors. The last thing I expected was for this to be a spiritual book, but this book is exactly that.
2009 was a year for crow picture books! This has one has great rhyme (Yolen rocks)although the pictures are a bit too dark ...not in subject matter too dark in terms of color. It is still a great addition to the Fall/Scarecrow related books.
The text is lovely in this book, but the illustrations are the most wonderful part. Watercolor and something else, I think, with the night sky and corn fields in dark blues and browns and soft oranges.
Quietly forceful poem depicting the strength and responsibility of a simple scarecrow. Illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline capture the magical quality and sweep you away with the Scarecrow's dance.
Purpose of a scarecrow- great book to introduce the season of Fall.
Prepositional phrases are everywhere in this book as the scarecrow dances in the field- great book!!
Prepositional phrases are everywhere in this book as the scarecrow dances in the field- great book!!
A scarecrow happily dances away from his post one windy night, until a child's prayer teaches him how important he is to the farm. Beautiful language and illustrations.
I don't usually have issues with Scarecrows but there were parts of this book where the images were just plain creepy. The poem was interesting. But overall this was a bit odd for me.
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Great children's book that teaches the child the significance of serving others. Good way to introduce the child to the concept of Christian service and vocation.
Easy and fun to read. The text has a nice flow and rhyming. The illustrations go right along with the text.
*Book from text
*Book from text
I was surprised by how much Carl liked this. It's a beautiful book, but I wasn't sure a three-year-old would appreciate it.
You'll fall in love with the scarecrow. A wonderful story told through poetry and rich illustrations.
Gorgeous Illustrations. Magical and tender story of loyalty.
A nice book to teach theme. Sweet story with beautiful artwork.
Beautiful words and pictures of poetry
Autumn Poetry
A nice piece of poetry here. Of course, it came out at the same time as a couple of other similar books and I think it didn't get a lot of attention because of that. The illustrations are so amazing though. The poetry is simple, yet compelling and narrative. Very nice book.
Nice rhyming. Illustrations are well done, but the color palette is generally too dark, and there are too many religious references for a public storytime.
Fun poetry. Loved the illustrations. Neat little message.
Aug 10, 2011
Lindsey
added it
Beautiful illustrations!
Three and a half stars.
May 15, 2013
Barbara
marked it as to-read
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Yolen was born at Beth Israel Hospital, the first child of Isabel Berlin and Will Hyatt Yolen. She and her family moved to California when she was young but returned to New York a few years later. After her younger brother was born, her father joined the army and served on the European front during WWII. Yolen spent her childhood taking piano lessons, ballet dancing and writing a neighborhood news...more
More about Jane Yolen...
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