The Child Cruncher

A wiry girl outwits a kidnapping ogre in this visually enticing story from the Netherlands. The twist is that the balance of power is really never in question: the girl is thrilled to be spirited away (it's a slow vacation day), and more than a little miffed when the pouting ogre reveals that all he wants to do is eat her (“He wasn't a nice villain at all! I'd been looking forward to many adventures, only to end up with an ordinary old child cruncher!”). She escapes, narrating her acts of derring-do with a wry disingenuousness (“You're all red in the face,” she tells the ogre as he is shown entangled in a well-placed net. “You'd better take it easy now. Do sit down”). Van Hout (paired with Stein for Brave Ben ), working in what seem to be primarily pastels, conjures up a series of magical environments—a not-quite-spooky forest bathed in the blue light of a giant moon, a lair rendered in murky, mottled lavender and a verdant backyard tricked out in the style of the Swiss Family Robinson. Full of fun. Ages 2–6. (Aug.)