Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Bears Should Share! (Another Point of View)

Juxtaposes the traditional tale of the three bears' discovery that Goldilocks has been in their house eating their porridge and using their furniture with Goldilocks' side of the story.

PreS-Gr 2--Two disappointing versions of familiar tales, designed to reinforce a message. The texts lack grace and imagination, relying instead on simplistic language, unevenly meted out in choppy sentences. Use of the first-person voice in the flip stories is awkward and deflates the action's impact. Goldilocks/Bears Should Share is the weaker of the two. Readers learn that little bear previously invited Goldilocks to visit his home, without informing his parents. When she explains her intrusive behavior, the cub lies, claiming he has never seen the girl. The clumsy conclusion serves only to muddy the traditional tale, while further confusing the moral issue. Tortoise/Friends At the End is more satisfying. The fable is repeated with accuracy and the accompanying story clarifies a simple message: one need not always win to have friends. Illustrations by two artists in each book result in a jarring diversity of styles from one half to the next. Goldilocks is first painted as a golden blonde, and then a strawberry blonde; the long-eared, slender hare in the traditional version is later replaced by a plump, fluffy bunny. Better to select distinguished picture books such as Janet Stevens's Tortoise and the Hare (Holiday, 1984) and Jan Brett's Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Putnam, 1990), and rely on youngsters to recognize the lessons within.

Sarabeth Kalajian, Venice Public Library, FL

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