Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Otis the tractor-s goodhearted nature continues to shine in his fifth picture book. The farmer has just placed a new scarecrow in the cornfield, and the -sour look- permanently stitched onto the scarecrow-s burlap head says plenty about its perceived attitude. As the days pass, the silent scarecrow remains indifferent to Otis and the farm animals below. Eventually, Otis finds a way to bring the scarecrow into the fun he and the animals are having-or at least to bring the fun to him. Although Otis himself is entirely animate, Long leaves the scarecrow-s sentience an open-ended question. As the book comes to a close, Otis -couldn-t be sure, but he thought he might have seen the scarecrow smile.- Readers will have to hazard their own guesses, as the scarecrow-s face is turned away from them in the final pages. Ages 5-8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

ALA Booklist (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Otis, the "friendly little tractor," is happy when the farmer mounts a scarecrow in the cornfield one late summer day. Otis presumes the newcomer is a potential pal and is quite disappointed when the scarecrow appears to only be interested in doing his job, never smiling and never acknowledging Otis or his farm animal friends. No one wants to approach the new arrival who wears a perpetual frown, and so he spends all his time alone. One cold, rainy fall day, amiable Otis decides the scarecrow looks too desolate, and he quietly moves to include him in the warm circle of friends. Appealing gouache-and-pencil illustrations in muted green, brown, and tan, with accents of red and orange, feature Otis with his doe-eye headlights and sweet demeanor and reveal true compassion. Images at the front of the framed illustrations are in focus, while the backgrounds are hazy, giving the art a pleasant perspective. Readers will enjoy this sixth tale of an admirable leader who does the right thing with quiet confidence.

School Library Journal (Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

PreS-Gr 2 Otis is a friendly little tractor who lives on a farm. In the summer, the farmer adds a scarecrow to his cornfield. Always looking for a new friend, Otis tries unsuccessfully to engage the scarecrow, who just stares blankly out at the field with a permanent scowl on its face. The farm animals attempt to befriend the sour fellow with the same result. As the season begins to change, the crows no longer keep away from the scarecrow, who has otherwise remained alone. During an autumn, Otis and his friends surround the solitary scarecrow to ride out a storm, and though he never breaks his silence, they are convinced that he doesn't look so lonely anymore. Gouache and pencil illustrations capture the different seasons and characters' emotions. This quiet addition to the series uses the appealing familiar characters to address the notions of small kindnesses and compassion. Laura Hunter, Mount Laurel Library, NJ

Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

It takes time, a rainstorm, and a silly round of "the quiet game" for Otis the tractor to cozy up to the scarecrow, the farm's grumpiest new member. The story is leisurely paced--a fact that will encourage readers to linger over Long's charming gouache and pencil illustrations of cheerful farm animals, a wide-eyed Otis, and rolling landscapes in muted colors.