GOLDILOCKS

A retelling of the classic children's tale follows headstrong Goldilocks as she leaves her homework undone and wanders into the Bears' cottage, where she eats a big bowl of pasta e fagioli. Doubleday Children's Alt.

Kindergarten-Grade 1-- ``Mama Bear, who is very domestic and a Julia Childs fan, had made a big pot of delicious. . . pasta e fagioli. '' When the bears go for a walk while the soup cools, spoiled but beautiful Goldilocks enters for her traditional destruction. Discovered by the bears, she apologizes and is invited for lunch. In the future, she is well behaved and always does her homework before visiting the three bears. DeLuise may have had luck telling this story in his role as a comedian, but it would be best left in the oral tradition, for it becomes tacky and cutesy in book format. Large, colorful illustrations match the story line, but retain some of the traditional elements. Recipes are included for porridge, pasta e fagioli , and corn muffins. Most children will prefer a more conventional, but beautiful edition, such as Jan Brett's Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Putnam, 1990). --Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In yet another regrettable case of celebrity-turned-children's-book-author, DeLuise tinkers with a perfectly good fairy tale and comes up with a wise-cracking, offensive remake. Brimming with treacly one-liners and pseudo-sassy asides ("Let me put it this way--she was a girl who just wouldn't take no for an answer"), this travesty finds the bear family dining on soup instead of porridge-- pasta e fagioli , no less, as Mama Bear is "a Julia Childs sic fan." Goldilocks is an insufferable prig who, in a made-for-TV ending, manages to worm her way back into the Bears' affections (after contritely doing her homework as punishment, of course) and returns to visit them and "have a good laugh about the interesting way they had met." DeLuise should stick with Candid Camera. Santoro has done better work than is on view here--and surely will again. His illustrations fairly wag their tails in an effort to please, but their saccharine, commercial execution is better suited to greeting cards. Any buyer lured by the author's celebrity status--and undoubtedly disappointed with this purchase--can take heart, though, as the book has one redeeming feature: a dynamite recipe for corn muffins is included. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.