Goatilocks and the Three Bears

Goldilocks as a goat? It's unlikely casting, but Perl (Chicken Butt!) and Howard (Mr. Putter and Tabby) pull it off with abundant good humor. Perl's conversational prose acknowledges readers' familiarity with the storyline: "When the bears went out for a walk one morning... well, you can probably guess what Goldilocks did." It's not too outrageous that Goatilocks eats the spoon along with Baby Bear's porridge (the bowl soon disappears, as well), but what really brings the laughs is that Goatilocks also eats Baby Bear's chair and bed after finding them "just right." The story's colloquial tone ("Hey, where's my chair?" complains Baby Bear) and Howard's (Mr. Putter and Tabby) freewheeling watercolors create a rollicking atmosphere. Goatilocks has expressive googly eyes, pink ears, and a polka-dot bow around her neck, while the bears, with their broad, round features, could have stepped out of a recent Charmin ad. The ending plays on Goatilocks's indiscriminating appetite, and kids won't be surprised by what happens to the flowers she brings the bears in apology. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Carrie Hannigan, Hannigan Salky Getzler. (June)

PreS-Gr 3--While the bear family is out for a walk, a young goat sneaks into their home. Goatilocks tries the typical three bowls of porridge, three chairs, and three beds, but with typical goatlike behavior, she also eats Baby Bear's spoon, chair, and bed. When she is discovered by the three bears, she hoofs it home. Returning the following day and feeling sheepish, Goatilocks offers flowers to the bears, which they all eat. Events in Perl's humorous and fresh retelling of the traditional tale unfold at a quick pace. Howard's cheery and detailed watercolors infuse extra doses of charm into the story, such as bear faces printed on wallpaper and a pair of salt and pepper shakers resting on the bears' picnic blanket. The number three is reinforced repeatedly in the artwork beginning with Howard's inclusion of three ladybugs crawling along a flower stem on the title page. In later illustrations, observant children discover three goldfish, three birds, three squirrels, and three bunnies. Howard adds humorous tidbits that will even evoke chuckles from adults, such as the name "Kodiak" inscribed on Papa Bear's camera. Perl and Howard's work provides an entertaining alternative to more traditional versions of the story. Teachers can successfully use it in compare-and-contrast lessons with other versions of the tale. Families, too, should find this picture book to be a bedtime read-aloud treat.--Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH