Juster, Norton.  The Odious Ogre.  Pictures by Jules Feiffer.  Scholastic.  2010.

An Ogre munched regularly on the people of a village, and the terrified residents did not think they could do anything to stop him. One day, the Ogre comes across a small cottage, and he veers over to see what tasty treat might await him. He meets up with a young girl working in the garden, and does his best to scare her but she just looks up at him and says, “Oh, pardon me, I didn’t realize anyone was there. I’ll be right with you.”

The surprised Ogre mumbles, “What’s going on!” The girl invites him to “sit down and have a cup of tea” with her. Now the Ogre feels terrible and he asks the young girl why she is not scared of him. “Oh, you’re not really so terrible,” she says, “Overbearing perhaps, arrogant for sure somewhat self-important, a little too mean and violent I’m afraid, and a bit messy”. The girl offers to help him tidy up and the poor Ogre becomes totally discombobulated because she is nice to him which the Ogre complains is “bad for business”. In the end, the Ogre expires from kindness, and the “townspeople…arrived to celebrate and bury him. The humor of this original fantasy is cleverly detailed despite the scary premise in the deliciously funny illustrations. The cover is an absolute draw as it shows a hapless young  man dangling from the Ogre’s hand. This is a picture book for children, ages 5 and up and can be shared in a group setting.