Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon

German author/illustrator Krause brings long-practiced skills to this sly story. When no princesses are available to feed the local dragon, young Oscar, a schoolboy in a T-shirt and backwards baseball cap, is sent instead. The dragon is outraged at Oscar's tininess, so the boy offers to fatten himself up, requesting kitchen equipment and groceries. Oscar has a gift for cooking, and although he has gained weight, he fools the dragon into believing otherwise ("Oscar, who had learned a thing or two from listening to fairy tales, quickly held out the cooking spoon to the nearsighted dragon"). After much protesting, the dragon caves and tries human food—of course, the two end up opening a restaurant. It's a neat amalgam of fairy tale elements with a little Top Chef thrown in. Krause's pacing is brisk and her tone sure. In her competent hands, the background scenery—lopsided half-timbered cottages, Oscar's kitchen-in-a-cage, and the restaurant they open together (with bathroom signs that show a male dragon standing and a lady dragon seated)—becomes an integral part of the entertainment. Ages 4–up. (Sept.)