Draft:May Belle and the Ogre

May Belle and the Ogre is a 2003 children's book written by Bethany Roberts, illustrated by Marsha Winborn, and published by E. P. Dutton as part of its Easy Reader series. The account of a human girl and the ogre whom she eventually befriends, it received critical acclaim and was followed by a 2005 sequel, Ogre Eats Everything.

Plot
The partnership between two lonely folk—human girl May Belle, who lives in a mountain cottage, and a gray ogre in search of a friend—is told across three chapters. In the first one, May Belle is frightened when she meets the ogre for the first time, but after she learns he wants to paint his toenails pink, she warms up to him. The ogre interferes with her blueberry pies in the second, but she catches him in the act and makes him bake one in return. By the last chapter, yearning for companionship, he is eventually befriended by May Belle.

Release and reception
Announced in February 2003, May Belle and the Ogre was published that June as part of the Dutton Easy Reader series, and was well-acclaimed. Writing for the School Library Journal, Andrea Tarr said, "A spunky heroine, buoyant text, and irresistible illustrations make this easy-reader a real winner." Booklist Kathleen Odean remarked, "Well-crafted repetition helps make the text accessible to beginning readers.... Cheerful pictures, similar to [Marsha Winborn]'s work in the Digby and Kate series, add color and personality." Kirkus Reviews said, "Winborn's whimsical illustrations add clever touches to the overall effort." All three publications noted the use of sound-effect words,  and in the case of the latter two, May Belle's songs. May Belle herself was variously compared to Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking, Maurice Sendak's Rosie, and the characters of David McPhail.

Sequel
The characters from May Belle returned in a 2005 follow-up, Ogre Eats Everything.