The Scarecrows on Parade
Author: 
Shamim Padamsee
Illustrator: 
Tanaya Vyas
age group: 
7+ yrs
Number of pages: 
16
Publisher: 
Pratham Books
Themes:
village life scarecrows humour
Genre:
picture book, fantasy
 

 

The crop in Gowri's field is slowly ripening. "Soon, birds will descend on the field to enjoy the grain," said Gowri's mother. "It's time to make a scarecrow," Gowri helps her mother put the scarecrow together. First they make a frame, next they pad it up with hay to give it a more life-like form. Gowri enjoyed painting the mudpot that will serve as the head. 

"There nearly done!" said Gowri's mother looking at it with satifaction. Now all we have to do is put some clothes on it."

"Can I dress it up in my new dress?" asks Gowri.

"Oh no, no! Scarecrows have to be dressed in our old castaway tattered clothes," she says.

Gowri is disappointed. However, late at night as the moon shone through her window, Gowri saw an amazing sight. The scarecrows had all come alive and were vying with each other to dress in gowri's best dresses that were neatly folded and kept in a corner. They dressed, they twirled, they paraded and were having such a great time that they forgot to guard the field. Soon hordes of birds descended on the fields and started to gobble up the newly ripening grain.

What will Gowri do?

This story is part of the Storyweaver collection of Pratham Books and can be freely accessed here: https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/167-the-scarecrows-on-parade

It has been translated into the fllowing languages 
1. The Scarecrows on Parade (English - L2) 
2. رژۀ مترسک‌ها (Farsi (Samim) - L2) 
3. خودنمایی مترسک‌ها (Farsi (Samim) - L1) 
4. Le défilé des épouvantails (French - L2) 
5. पूतलिंग देदातागु (Gondi - L2) 
6. कागभगोड़ों की ठिठोली (Hindi - L2) 
7. ಬೆದರುಬೊಂಬೆಗಳ ಮೆರವಣಿಗೆ (Kannada - L2) 
8. बुजगावण्यांची वरात (Marathi - L2) 
9. کاگ بھگوڑوں کی پریڈ (Urdu - L2) 
10. Pawai Orang-orangan Sawah (Bahasa Indonesia - L2)
11. Pawai Wong-wongan Sawah (Basa Jawa - L2)
12. The Scarecrows on Parade (Chinese (Simplified) - L2)
13. The Scarecrows on Parade (English - L1)
14. கௌரியும் சோளக்கொல்லை பொம்மைகளும் (English-Tamil - L2)
15. おしゃれカカシの仮装行列 (Japanese - L2)
16. Los espantapájaros en el desfile (Spanish - L2)

Reviewed by Stub