Scarecrow and His Servant [Hardcover]

Philip Pullman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2004

A wonderful new tale of two friends: a scarecrow made of straw and turnip, and his servant, a clever little boy named Jack. Their journey of discovery takes them into hilarious situations and terrifying dangers, but Jack's common sense always saves the day. This fantastic story of friendship and love is the first book for younger readers from Philip Pullman since I Was A Rat, and his first full-length book since The Amber Spyglass.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 4-6–Old Mr. Pandolfo, feeling that life is getting too difficult–what with troublesome weather, troublesome soldiers, and very troublesome cousins–decides the time has come to create a scarecrow. At least a scarecrow would take care of the birds. Mr. Pandolfo creates a fine scarecrow, indeed, with a large turnip for a head, a broomstick for a backbone, dressed in a tweed suit stuffed with straw. Hidden within it, carefully wrapped in oilskin, is a mysterious letter. But how can this extraordinary creature–who comes to life when struck by a bolt of lightning–fulfill his destiny if he's stuck out in the middle of a field? Enter Jack, an enterprising, intelligent, and practical young orphan fleeing the soldiers who robbed him of home and family. Jack's motto, It could be worse, comes in handy as he agrees to become the servant of the rather egocentric scarecrow, setting off to find excitement and glory. Scarecrow's excellent opinion of himself sets the stage for a variety of silly, yet dangerous, adventures. Run-ins with government officials, soldiers, and unscrupulous business people provide plenty of opportunities for moralizing on the evils of society. In another setting, this story line might seem over-the-top, but Pullman's clever employment of fairy-tale conventions, his superb use of language, and his engaging dialogue make it a wholly satisfying yarn of ridiculous proportions, and Bailey's line drawings provide just the right feeling of long ago that every good fairy tale deserves.–Sharon Grover, Arlington County Department of Libraries, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 4-6. Pullman seems equally at home whether creating high fantasy, Victorian mysteries, or old-fashioned stories in the fairy-tale fashion. Here he excels in the latter mode, creating unique characters to charm young readers. When Scarecrow (reminiscent of his relative in the Wizard of Oz) meets orphan Jack, both the boy and straw man see the wisdom of Jack's attending to the scarecrow as a servant. Together the pair contends with "danger . . . followed by glory . . . leading to sorrow" as promised by a fortune-teller. It's Jack who keeps Scarecrow's head on (literally at times) as his master blithely takes a turn on the boards, becomes an officer in the army, and finds treasure on an island, even as he keeps his inner conviction rolled up on a scroll stuffed in his shirt. The umbrella story about Scarecrow's raison d'etre (to rescue his polluted valley from an evil ruling family) is purposive, but its sharp point is cushioned by the flimflam and fancy pervading the tale. Best of all, however, is the charm exuded by Scarecrow and the boy, two memorable fellows who may seem familiar, but are utterly their own. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Childrens (November 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038540980X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385409803
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,365,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what a missed opportunity for fun, November 29, 2005

By 

H. A. Mollick "heel3" (silver spring, md USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Scarecrow and His Servant (Hardcover)

This book is hysterical, poignient, learned, and not being read by kids anywhere. The publisher should be ashamed for not marketing "Scarecrow" well : my local Borders had it in " teen science fiction"! My 10 year old and I had an uproarious time with this book - Pullman is a clever, sharp and taut writer . For those who enjoyed "The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists " (another poorly sold book), or maybe the funniest parts of "Hoot",this book is for you - and tell your friends ! Teachers of grades 4-7 need to get on the ball - it isn't just Harry Potter, Captain Underpants, or Kate DeCamilla (at least she 's popular) out there !

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the scarecrow and his servant, November 14, 2008

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Annette Mwatt "annette - artist" (australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Scarecrow and His Servant (Paperback)

A delightful, laugh-out-loud read, for children and adults alike. From the wonderful Phillip Pullman .

The scarecrow, lovingly constructed by the ailing farmer - and complete with turnip head - comes to life when struck by lightening. Then his travels start. He meets young Jack - all alone in the world - and says to him :" Here you are, an honest and willing youth and here am I, a Scarecrow of enterprise and talent. What would you say if I offered you the position of my personal servant ? "

Jack accepts - and their adventures begin. A rollicking tale complete with military skirmishes, pirates, lost treasure. A wonderful cast of birds, led by Granny Raven. And the villianous Buffalonis, intent on destroying all that is beautiful in the Scarecrow's true home, Spring Valley.

The story comes to its climactic finale in the courtroom where the Buffalonis plot to deprive the noble scarecrow of Spring Valley. The final chapter will leave you laughing with joy. And renewed appreciation of Phillip Pullman's exceptional talent.

Read the book with an open mind. Do not compare this with the famous Dark Materials trilogy, as some readers inevitably will do. Enjoy it purely as a story. A multi-layered story. Children will enjoy this story on their level. The astute adult reader will gain something more : The courtroom scene with its costumed pomposity and legal terminology " non independentem judgi nogoodi " is a clever broadside at the theatre of the court.

Pullman's use of the English language - and a lexicon of names as rich as J.K.Rowling's - will leave the reader wanting more from this author. I loved the Dark Materials trilogy and all its complexities. This is different - funny for the children and for the adult a clever, escapist and wholly enjoyable delight.

And where oh where is some clever film maker to bring Pullman's stories to life ? And to bring children the richness of story telling that is so important to them ? The Golden Compass, with its pivotal plot change, fell far short of the mark. Thank goodness the Harry Potter films did not err in this direction, but remained true to what J.K.Rowling intended. And in so doing, opened the door on a complex and wonderful world. The same could be achieved with the Phillip Pullman stories - the work of a master storyteller .

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Beware! This is not the book described in the reviews., November 8, 2009

By 

Dennis M. Southwood - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Scarecrow and His Servant (Paperback)

The book described in the editorial and readers' reviews is not the book being sold here. The book I received is not the novel described by the reviewers; it is an adaptation in the form of a play. Clicking on the illustration to get a look inside shows the paperback novel, not this adaptation. The novel itself seems to be available only through Amazon Marketplace sellers.

Amazon's practice of concatenating all reviews of all editions of a book often makes it difficult to determine what reviewers think about the particular edition one is looking at, but to show only reviews pertaining to other editions and none pertaining to the quite different book being sold goes beyond laziness.