Great Childrens' Books For Fall: The Shy Scarecrow by Mary Packard

The Shy Scarecrow by Mary Packard is a great book for children, especially during the Fall season. Rags is a shy little scarecrow. He is afraid of crows and too shy to scare them away from the corn. Rags' farmer hangs him high in the corn field, but the crows sense that Rags is afraid of them. The crows ignore Rags and feast on the corn. Rags begs the crows to leave, but they continue to scare Rags until he cries.

Rags' farmer finds a hat made of tin and foil. Tin cans dangle around the rim of the hat. He places the hat on Rags' head. The clattering sound makes Rags feel more courageous and the crows fly away. At the end of the story, Rags feels tall and self confident. He is able to do the job of a scarecrow.

Published in 2001, The Shy Little Scarecrow by Mary Packard is illustrated by Benrei Huang. It is a Hello Reader Level 1 Book intended for Preschool - Grade 1.

The Shy Little Scarecrow teaches children how others who are considered to be shy might feel about themselves. Children learn about fear and confidence as they read about Rags and how he is transformed from a shy little scarecrow to a tall brave scarecrow.

Before or after reading The Shy Scarecrow, plan a trip to a farm where children can view various scarecrows. Ask them to decide if the scarecrow appears to be bold or shy.

Ask children to draw a picture of a shy scarecrow and a bold scarecrow. Discuss the differences in the way the scarecrows look.

Provide materials for children to construct an actual scarecrow. Children may also construct a scarecrow from paper.

If possible, provide small amounts of straw and baby doll clothing for each child to construct a miniature scarecrow.

Be sure to discuss shyness. Children need to know that it is OK to be shy. Discuss ways in which friends can help a shy person be more self confident.