The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The three billy goats Gruff must cross the river in order to get to the grass on the other side, but a mean and hungry troll stands in their way. By the author of A Little Witch Magic.

Where Tim Arnold (see review below) uses a folk-art-like style to freshen up an old standby, Bender saturates his story with almost otherworldly colors and lines. Building on the acetate and vinyl animator's paint medium which gave so much luster to A Little Witch Magic , the author/artist creates bold, potent spreads. Fantastic elements coexist with virtually palpable reminders of the natural world--for example, land- and skyscapes of fluid teals and greens contrast with a chilly blue river. Theatrical perspectives deepen the mood: the bulldog-faced troll leans menacingly toward his would-be victims; the largest billy goat's kick tosses the picture frame into new angles. Although the text is occasionally coy ("I'm just a low-calorie snack!" cries the littlest goat), this volume has the power to haunt its audience. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bender (see Arnold above) takes the most liberties with the familiar goats (the troll has ``foul breath that made the daisies wilt,'' and little Gruff describes himself as ``a low-calorie snack''), though his lively text is almost as concise as the original and he keeps all the key phrases; his is an irreverent contemporary version that should amuse anyone who knows the classic text. His illustrations are rendered in animator's paint on clear acetate backed with black paper for a bold, vibrantly colorful effect. The goats are comically expressive (the big one resembles a water buffalo), while the troll is a cross between a belligerent bulldog and an oriental demon; like Arnold's, he ends up in the river, never to be seen again. Funny, and fun. (Folklore/Picture book. 3-8)in the river, never to be seen again. Funny, and fun. (Folklore/Picture book. 3-8) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 3-7. Bender's dramatic illustrations are the highlight of this picture-book version of a favorite folktale. In rich colors "backlit" to a glasslike clarity, he sends the goats over the bridge and sets up the troll for that fateful meeting. The confrontation is slightly more graphic than some versions--"I've got long pointy ears to make swiss cheese of your body, and big hard hooves to smash your bones to bits!" says the biggest billy goat Gruff--but the conclusion is no less sweet. "The grass was so fresh and delicious, they couldn't stop eating it. In fact, they got so fat, they could hardly walk home again. So snip, snap, snout. This tale's told out." A fresh visual interpretation of a sturdy standby, this may energize some school and public library story times. Janice Del Negro