Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown

Proof positive that not everything found in a trunk is gold. Kate’s on the hunt for books for Halloween so we took a suggestion and delved into this “lost treasure” from the trunk o’ manuscripts of the late Margaret Wise Brown. I’ll confess to you right here and now that I’m kinda out of good Halloween titles to do with her so if you have ANY suggestions of other picture book Halloween classics, please oh please suggest them now. We discuss a gender-bent version of Wizard of Oz, why Margaret Wise Brown missed out on calling the mom “Scarecrone”, why all these scarecrows are white, and more.

Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, PlayerFM, or your preferred method of podcast selection.

Show Notes:

You can read the L.A. Times article A Treasure-Trove of Children’s Stories here, if you like.

I’m just amazed by the fact that they had the gall to put a shiny sticker on this cover. Cheeky, folks. Cheeky.

Couple points as to why this one gets to me. It’s the fingers . . .

And the fact that he has straw for teeth. *shudder*

Remember the sassy sun of The Little House? A thing of the past. This sun? Kate calls it “Monday Sun”. It Couldn’t. Care. Less.

I am also disturbed by why this scarecrow has a flesh tongue. It is wet. There is a sheen to it. GAH!!!

Kate says the only illustration she likes in the whole entire book? The crows.

A lot of things are strange about this book. But the choice to make this scarecrow mom an uber-1950s mom? So odd.

I had to plug Small Spaces, the greatest freaky children’s novel, by Katherine Arden. If you haven’t read it, go out and find it for yourself.

Kate Recommends: Hocus Pocus 2

Betsy Recommends: Her neighbors in a local production of Hello, Dolly.

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate