Awards

• Original Art 1998, Society of Illustrators

• Minnesota Book Award Finalist

• Ohioana Award for Children's Literature

Reviews

 "...Rylant lyrically imagines the scarecrow as a grateful “witness to life,” while the acrylic paintings evoke a warm, even nostalgic sense of plenty."
-Publisher’s Weekly

"...an appreciation of silence, of patience, and of the beauty and changeable quality of the natural world. Stringer’s acrylic paintings are magnificent... a lovely and gentle book."
-School Library Journal 

"...The lilting text, coupled with large acrylic paintings, captures the serenity of the countryside and the peacefulness of a scarecrow’s life…"
-Booklist  

"...Rylant is in fine form with her lyrical, understated prose, and Stringer’s big, bold acrylic illustrations do a lovely job of amplifying the text. The art captures the scarecrow’s point of view, from the sweeping panorama of rolling hills and wide sky, to the close-up details: a morning glory twining around his feet and a mouse building a nest in his hat."
-Kirkus  Reviews