Goatilocks and the Three Bears

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