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The Scarecrows' WeddingJulia Donaldson
The Scarecrows' Wedding
by Julia Donaldson
Betty and Harry plan the best wedding ever seen on a farm, until the farmer replaces Harry with a scarecrow who smokes cigars.
A story about magical creatures and a grown-up villain, warm and rhyming in tone. We would put it with children of 3–6, and at a reading age of about 5 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Mild peril
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
Our take on this book
Betty O'Barley and Harry O'Hay, two scarecrows in love, plan the best wedding a farm has ever seen and set off to gather everything on their list — but while Harry is away fetching flowers, the farmer replaces him with a flashy new scarecrow named Reginald Rake, who smokes a cigar and spells trouble. Julia Donaldson's rhyming picture book has all her trademark bounce and a proper story arc, complete with a genuine villain and a satisfying rescue. The mild peril — Reginald's carelessly dropped cigar starts a fire — gives it a jolt of real jeopardy that resolves happily and even lets Betty do the saving. The rhymes are irresistible read aloud and the checklist structure invites children to chant along. For a three- to six-year-old it is a lively, romantic, gently exciting story with a strong heroine and the reliable Donaldson guarantee of a happy, well-rhymed ending.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Sharing a ShellJulia Donaldson
Stick ManJulia Donaldson
Sugarlump and the UnicornJulia Donaldson
The Smeds and the SmoosJulia Donaldson
What the Ladybird HeardJulia Donaldson
The Highway RatJulia Donaldson
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.