The Scarecrow and His Servant

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 !

I thought this was a nice little story. I'm 27 years old but I'm a big Pullman fan so I read this despite the fact that it is probably intended for a younger audience. Like I said, cute and simple. Nothing complex or tremendously moving.

Perfect entertainment.

An entertaining adventure for all ages. Captivating, hard to put down. There were many funny sequences of events. A great quick read.

Excellent condition! Fantastic story!!!

In the tradition of "The Wizard of Oz," Philip Pullman's children's novel, "The Scarecrow and His Servant" blends fantasy with adventure to create a curious story of friendship and ingenuity. When struck by lightning in a wheat field, a typical scarecrow with a broomstick backbone and a turnip head comes to life like Frankenstein--with the notable exception of the scarecrow's decidedly benign and non-monstrous nature. The Scarecrow soon happens upon a young boy, Jack, whom he adopts as his servant, and the two embark upon an adventurous journey to Spring Valley, where the Scarecrow is sure that he belongs. They encounter dangerous events at every turn, from brigands to a regiment to a shipwreck, and their quest is challenging. Fortunately for the humorous and often ignorant Scarecrow, Jack is inventive and resourceful, and together they face each trial with hope. However, as with every folk story, there is a villain determined to have his own way, and this time that entity is embodied by the Buffalonis, an ill-famed family who claims the rights to Spring Valley. The outcome may be unexpected, but the fun and danger of the journey is certain."The Scarecrow and His Servant" is written much like a fairy tale for older children and adolescents aged approximately 8-12. There are many words that will require a dictionary or an adult's guidance, and the obscenity "damn" appears on page 116. The story itself is highly fantastical and unbelievable, containing multiple anachronisms such as mentions of winning the lottery and a police station, but hence the mythical element. Overall, Pullman's short novel introduces readers to endearing characters and an interesting plotline fraught with obstacles and humor, if inaccurate and insensible at times.

This strange little book is a cross between The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Wizard of Oz. A dying farmer makes a scarecrow and tucks a letter inside "to show where he belonged." The Scarecrow is struck by lightening and comes to life. He meets a small boy who has lost his family and home to marauding soldiers, and the boy, Jack, becomes the Scarecrow's servant. The two wander about the countryside having adventures. The Scarecrow is all wide-eyed innocence, while Jack is loyal and smart.At one point they meet up with a regiment of soldiers, and the Scarecrow is made a Captain because he's "nowhere near clever enough" to be a private or a sergeant. The battle scene reminded me of the feud in Huckleberry Finn.Birds play a big part in the story, which also involves a fight against an evil company out to destroy the land for profit. The illustrations by Peter Bailey are wonderful. The Scarecrow begins life with a turnip head and ends the story with a coconut head. The humor is wry and sometimes a little twisted.The target audience is age 8-12, and I think this would make a good book to read out loud or with a child.

I read this to my daughter and we both found it highly amusing. Fast paced story with lots of adventure and laughs.

veio certinho

I understand that Philip Pullman is one of the most popular children's writers of today. The first book I ever purchased by him was part of a trilogy called `Northern Lights', (see my review for that title) and although I had two attempts at reading it, found it very boring, overlong and totally unenjoyably... (By the way; whilst I appreciate those who enjoy his work, one must keep in mind that the whole point of reviews is not to simply hear what you `want' to hear; the point of Amazon reviews is not some kind of fan base whereby those who've read a particular book and think it's great feels obliged to then `thumbs down' a contrary review - this is extremely juvenile behaviour, and that the aim of reviews is for those out there who have NOT read the book to get an even-handed and comprehensive selection of reviews both for and against a certain book. It seems more and more lately, that when someone has such a large following, the `fans' get angry and become very childish and simply slam any negative reviews which serves no purpose whatsoever as everybody sees through it...)However; (lecture over) in total contrast, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I found the story extremely entertaining and I loved the illustrations too! Lately I'm reading more and more children's books because on the whole, they seem to be better written than a lot of adult novels these days. (not sure why that is - or what it tells us about modern writers) I thought the scarecrow character both ridiculous and funny and thoroughly entertaining, and I couldn't wait to read more about Jack and his next adventure at each chapter!The only thing I would say negatively, is there appears to be a bit of a lack of continuity; the story seems to be set in `olden' times. (certainly not the present day) Noting the style and the illustrations, I would say probably around the Victorian era, yet this is let down when terms and phrases are used, such as `winning the lottery' (quite early on) the reference to some characters wearing `dark glasses'?? Then terms such as characters needing `therapy'??? I thought this a great shame in an otherwise `perfect' book, as this does destroy some of the authenticity of the story setting for me... I also noticed lack of continuity in the illustrations too; halfway through the story, the scarecrow's turnip head is replaced by a coconut, but in some of the illustrations he is still shown as having a turnip... These are small niggles though in an otherwise superb read, and I SO enjoyed this book in total contrast to my opinion of Mr. Pullman's other that I tried to read, that I have since purchased two more by him; `Clockwork' and `The Firework Maker's Daughter'. I feel certain that both these will be just as enjoyable and entertaining as this!Highly recommended!NOTE: Fell about laughing when told of the little piece of unexplained wood that fell down out of the the trouser leg of the scarecrow towards the end... ;-)

Bought for granddaughter who loves to listen to stories in bed. Don't know the story myself but Mr Pullman's reputation speaks for itself surely! Arrived very quickly which was very helpful.

My 10 year old son's favourite book. Sweet and gentle, beautiful language, and mystically old fashioned. Phillip Pullman writes children's books that you really like your children to read or be read to.

Came the day after we ordered!, was an excellent surprise top have it next day and also in perfect condition. Looks like brand new. Good book for P5.