Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Michael di Capua Books (2010), Hardcover, 32 pages
Description
An ogre terrorizes villages until he meets a friendly villager.
Media reviews
It’s been way too long since we’ve had a story from Juster and Feiffer, and “The Odious Ogre” deserves to become a family staple. Let’s hope that children and their parents don’t have to wait another 50 years for a sequel.
User reviews
LibraryThing member kidlit9
Example of an illustrated book that is intended for older readers. Everyone is scared of the ogre because of the rumors they've heard. One brave girl tries to befriend him, but he thinks she is being nice to him to trick him.
LibraryThing member MarissaFay
I didn't know that Norton Juster writes children's picture books! In fact, I kind of thought he was dead. So, you can imagine my surprise when I found this new book in the library! And I was not disappointed! The Odious Ogre is witty, smart, and hilarious, just as one would expect a book by Norton
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Juster to be. And it was fun to see the illustrations by Jules Feifer, as I have only seen his black and white work in The Phantom Tollbooth. Show Less
LibraryThing member robynsc
i love norton juster. i love jules feiffer. i didn't love this collabo. it's okay, but doesn't really break any new ground. a little disappointing.
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
An odious ogre, widely believed to be "extraordinarily large, exceedingly ugly, constantly hungry, and absolutely merciless," terrorizes the countryside and finds that his depredations are made all too easy by his terrible reputation, and the fear and apathy this inspires in the local population.
Author Norton Juster and illustrator Jules Feiffer, perhaps best known for their work on the classic children's novel, The Phantom Tollbooth (which is one of my own all-time favorite books!), join forces here again to create an amusing, thought-provoking original fairy-tale exploring such themes as fear, reputation, and the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy. I enjoyed the story, found the writing itself accomplished and appealing (no surprises there), and thought the artwork was well-suited to the text. I also appreciated the idea, highlighted in the latter half of the story, that we often give our enemies more power than they really have, in our imaginations, and that we can sometimes defeat our troubles, by keeping a positive outlook. All in all, an entertaining tale, one I would recommend to children who enjoys stories of ogres and other monsters, especially ones with surprising and humorous endings.
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Then the ogre comes upon a polite, kindhearted young girl who has never heard of him, and who treats him courteously. He can hardly process this state of affairs, becomes paranoid, convinced that there must be a hidden trap somewhere, and eventually dies from the shock of it all...Author Norton Juster and illustrator Jules Feiffer, perhaps best known for their work on the classic children's novel, The Phantom Tollbooth (which is one of my own all-time favorite books!), join forces here again to create an amusing, thought-provoking original fairy-tale exploring such themes as fear, reputation, and the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy. I enjoyed the story, found the writing itself accomplished and appealing (no surprises there), and thought the artwork was well-suited to the text. I also appreciated the idea, highlighted in the latter half of the story, that we often give our enemies more power than they really have, in our imaginations, and that we can sometimes defeat our troubles, by keeping a positive outlook. All in all, an entertaining tale, one I would recommend to children who enjoys stories of ogres and other monsters, especially ones with surprising and humorous endings.
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Awards
Parents' Choice Book Award (2010)
The Best Children's Books of the Year (Five to Nine — 2011)
Children's Favorites Awards (Selection — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2010
Physical description
32 p.; 12 inches
ISBN
0545162025 / 9780545162029
Local notes
A large, ugly, angry, hungry, and absolutely merciless ogre terrorizes the countryside, wreaking havoc and dining happily on the hapless citizens, until he takes a wrong turn and encounters a kind and friendly young lady who does her best to help him.
Signed by Juster.
Signed by Juster.