Review - Otis and the Scarecrow

Otis and the Scarecrow (Otis the Tractor #5)
by Loren Long
Date: 2014
Publisher: Philomel Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: hardcover
Source: library

FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING CREATOR OF OTIS AND THE ILLUSTRATOR OF THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD

On the farm where Otis the tractor lives, the farmer has introduced someone new—a scarecrow to shoo away the pesky crows. But when Otis and the animals greet the scarecrow with friendly smiles, the scarecrow’s frown never leaves his face. So everyone leaves him alone.

Then one day, when a cold autumn rain sets in, Otis and the animals snuggle close and play Otis’s favorite game: the quiet game. Otis knows the puppy and ducks can’t sit still for long, and soon the farm friends begin to giggle and squirm, feeling warmed by one another’s friendship . . . but on this day, Otis can't seem to take his eyes off the lonely figure in the cornfield. A deeply resonant book about subtle acts of compassion and standing up for others, featuring everyone's favorite tractor, Otis.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

When I picked this book up in the library, I didn't realize it was part of a series. I was going solely on name recognition (I've read some other books illustrated by Loren Long).

Otis and the Scarecrow is okay, if you like books about anthropomorphized machinery. I find it kind of weird in this case, as the tractor has all kinds of animal friends. (For whatever reason, I didn't find the concept of equipment with human characteristics nearly as difficult to swallow in Anna Dewdney's Little Excavator; that may be because all of the characters were machinery in that one.)

One day, the tractor and animals notice that a scarecrow has been put in the field. They try to engage with it, but it just stands there looking sour and angry. Eventually, they just end up sitting close to it, as if that's an act of friendship.

I'm still confused as to whether the scarecrow was alive and just a surly jerk, or if it was simply inanimate (and the tractor and animals were just naive enough to think they were keeping it company). I guess that could be up to the interpretation of the reader, but I'm not sure I really like the "message" here... whatever it is.

The illustrations are neat. They sort of have a retro feel to them. The tractor... well, again, I just find it weird. He can apparently stand up and sit down, and has such a range of movement that at times I had trouble remember I was looking at a piece of farm equipment. I don't necessarily think that's a good thing, though.

Overall, I didn't love this. Maybe I should've read the first book in the series for my introduction to this little tractor and his friends. As a standalone title, however, Otis and the Scarecrow just didn't work for me as well as I hoped it would.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5