Scarecrow Magic

Masessa (The Time Travelers' Journal) and Myers (Battle Bunny) conjure up a truly eerie vision of what a scarecrow gets up to during his off-duty hours, cavorting with beasts and creepy crawlies of every stripe under the unholy light of a yellow-green moon. As if the idea of the scarecrow undoing "the ropes that are binding him tight" isn't unnerving enough, a page turn has the scarecrow stripping off his skin to reveal a grinning skeleton underneath--albeit one who keeps his boxer shorts on when he dives into a nearby pond. Myers deploys a supporting cast of pine trees come alive, bird-haystack hybrids, and other oddities that are perfectly synced to Masessa's incantatory rhymes ("Shadows take on a life of their own./ They growl and they grumble. They ramble and roam"). Halloween-worthy chills for any time of year. Ages 3-5. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (June)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 1-3--A scarecrow with a sinister look is featured in this eerie fall time book. Every night as the moon glows, a scarecrow begins to come to life. "Hung from a post, a man made of straw/Moves a finger, a hand, an eyebrow, a jaw." After slipping out of his skin, he is a skeleton and is joined by other troublesome creatures to play. Games such as pumpkin bowling and double Dutch are shown as the goblins and ghouls eat treats, such as slimy fresh worms, all through the night. As the sun begins to shine, the creatures all return to where they came from. Myers's acrylic illustrations are truly spooky, especially when the scarecrow loses his skin, and could make the book a touch too scary for young ones. VERDICT This chilling fall book is perfect for elementary students who are not quite ready for Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.--Brooke Newberry, La Crosse Public Library, WI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for Scarecrow Magic

* "Halloween-worthy chills for any time of year." — Publishers Weekly, starred review


Praise for A is for Musk Ox (by Erin Cabatingan and illustrated by Matt Myers):

"Comical illustrations take this book to a high level. The illustration quality even makes 'musk ox' tags appear to be 3-D." — Children's Literature


Praise for Tyrannosaurus Dad (by Liz Rosenberg and illustrated by Matt Myers):

"Myers' oil paintings truly amaze. Faces gain an almost three-dimensional expressiveness, and the spreads are rich in scene-setting detail." — Kirkus Reviews

"The illustrations ... offer inventive perspectives, dynamic action, uproarious humor, and cool details throughout." — Booklist