The Odious Ogre

PreS-Gr 2—There is nothing as satisfying as a job well done, and this ogre is beyond satisfied. In fact, he doesn't have to do anything anymore to scare the villagers. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, however, he goes about his business of snacking on them whenever the mood strikes him. Until one day, that is, when he comes upon a beautiful girl in the forest, and she is not afraid of him in the slightest. She sees beyond his odor and hideous face and assumes he is a good person at heart. She offers him tea and muffins and extends every kindness that she can think of. Thrown off guard, the ogre tries every trick he knows to frighten her but nothing will rattle this optimistic young girl. The befuddled and frustrated ogre tromps off through the forest and, well, the odious ogre is no more. Juster's language and imagery are playful throughout. For example, he describes the villagers' unsuccessful attempt at hiding from the ogre by noting that they "stuffed their ears with stale cake." What child won't chuckle at that image? Later, the ogre complains that the girl is not "the docile dumpling he expected." The ogre is correct; she is no docile dumpling. Feiffer's loose, colorful sketches are as cartoony as this over-the-top story demands. The text is a bit long for storyhour but the clever repartee and fun illustrations make up for that in spades.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA