The Bear Out There

Gr 1-4–The story of Goldilocks has many variations and has been written from many different characters’ points of view. Hannigan has added to this canon using a child’s voice, or perhaps paranoia, about things they do not understand and are afraid of. The story opens with a young girl frightened by a knock on her home’s door. She invites readers into her home and expresses her concerns about bears, to the point in which she draws a picture of one. The reader learns that Goldilocks is, in fact, in the bears’ house and not her own. As Goldilocks makes her explosive and destructive exit of the bears’ house, a bear explains to readers that strangers are often in her house without her family’s permission. The bear does not like it but has learned to deal with the continuous interruptions these strangers cause her family. Read it as a retold tale or as a metaphor for humans stomping through the environment; this delightful book will help children identify, lovingly address, and overcome any fears they may have and are struggling with. The illustrations beautifully support and extend the text.