Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Krystyna J. Higgins is the book review editor of the Toronto-based
Catholic New Times.

This is a fairly straightforward version of the classic story, with only
minor variations. For example, Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear become “Great
Big,” “Middle-Sized” and “Little Tiny,” and there are some
attempts to individualize the smallest of the trio.

It is Lindsay Grater’s colorful illustrations that provide a humorous
and refreshing slant on an old favorite. Her Goldilocks is no
flaxen-haired china doll but a rambunctious redhead in running shoes and
flowered leggings. The pictures contain some subtle details that go
beyond the text such as the bears’ enjoyment of the belongings
Goldilocks leaves behind after her hasty departure.

Like its predecessor, The Three Little Pigs, the book has been packaged
as a “Storyclothes kit.” Accompanying the book is a gift box
containing Goldilocks’ headband and a set of bear ears and paws, as
well as adult-oriented suggestions for dress-up and imaginative play
based on the story. It is difficult to see this as anything more than a
marketing ploy. In my experience, children don’t need much
encouragement to act out or elaborate upon a familiar story. Recommended
(chiefly for the illustrations) with reservations.