Customer Reviews

Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Combining an imaginative re-working of the 'Goldilocks and the 3 Bears' fairytale by Jackie Mims Hopkins with the cartoon-style full color artwork of John Manders, "Goldie Socks And The Three Libearians" is the picturebook story of a little girl who enters the home of a book loving family consisting of Papa Bear who is a public librarian, Mama Bear who is a school librarian, and Baby Bear who is a librarian in training at the Grizz Lee Preschool. Goldi Socks takes advantage of the Bear family's absence to explore the home and becomes so engaged with the books she finds there that she doesn't hear the family's return. Adding to the delightfully entertaining twist to an old and favorite story, is a thoroughly happy ending! "Goldie Socks And The Three Libearians" is a simply delightful read that will entertain young readers and make a very popular addition to family, school, and community library picturebook collections. Teachers and homeschooling parents will find the accompanying 'Library Lessons' created by Jackie Mims to be an ideal supplement to teach children how to select 'just the right book' in a school or community library in a timely fashion.

This is a cute book that can tie in with any elementary classroom's first trip to a school library. The pictures are entertaining with text that is simplistic enough to engage a kindergarten student while punny enough to appeal to a 4th-5th grader. This is not a book that kids will want to hear over and over again since there is very little depth to the story, but it is definitely worth at least reading once/school year.

I work in a public library so am always interested in stories set in libraries. Which this technically isn't, as it is the bears' home, but it's close enough. There's hundreds of children's picture books relating to libraries but Hopkins has come up with a good idea by putting a unique spin on a classic fairytale as well.

Drawings by John Manders are pretty well drawn. The basic plot of Goldie Socks is a young blond girl takes a shortcut to school through the woods and comes across a weird building which is constructed of giant books. Being a huge book fan she forgets all about being late for school and checks it out. No one is home so she goes inside and picking up books finds one is too heavy, one too little but one was just right. Actually she gets two books a non fiction and a chapter book which the author seems to have included to promote a five finger rule (no not the shoplifting one but easily to be confused when reading a book about an intruder) that I'm guessing is their idea as it's not used in any library I've been in but well may be an American thing, (feel free to comment and tell me). The same select three until last is "just right" charade is done with finding a comfortable place to read. Disappointingly they didn't do a third 3 things like in the original fairytale and we also don't have the standard bears catch her and eat her ending I have no problem with a different ending but thought the one included was a bit weak and certainly not the result of what a family would do if they came home and found an intruder in their house.

It's a good tale, that doesn't reach the peak of the books in either library fiction or fairy tale spins genres but it is a good read and one most kids would enjoy.

The best two library themed picture books I've come across are Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen and Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk.

The best fairytale parodies or sequels/prequels picture books are Porkenstein, Sequel to the Three Little Pigs where the remaining and now very lonely pig decides to make a new friend, using poetic licence the big bad wolf who died in the original also makes an appearance. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs where told from the wolf's own mouth the reader finds out what really occurred surrounding the events of the destruction of the houses of straw and twigs and the demise of their occupants.

Teachers...you will never believe it...this book puts it all together... the five finger rule, choosing a "just right book," putting books and furniture away properly. It is simply amazing! My students could not believe their ears as I read all of those little rules that we talk about all of the time for reading independently. Finally a great story that teaches such great reading rules.

Here's what we wrote on our blog...........

Mommy Bookworm's Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I never learned about the "five finger rule" growing up and this book does a great job explaining what it is and how to use it to choose good books for yourself. I know it was kind of going along with the old classic story with having her toss aside the books she didn't like, but I also felt it was good that the Libearian family got upset with how she treated the books that didn't fit her because, in a way, it shows that it's not right to treat books badly. Overall, I'd say this is a wonderful book for young kids to teach them more about books!

Dahlia Bookworm's Thoughts: I liked the book, especially how the house was made out of books and they had all types of books in the house. I thought the book was interesting because it has a different way of telling the Goldie Locks story. I can easily read it on my own. I would recommend it to kids of all different ages because it is not to young/little, but it's not too hard either.

Daisy Bookworm's Thoughts: I like when Papa Libearian read a story to everyone. I also like the pictures and all the colors. I also like that Goldie Socks found a cottage made out of books. I think that would be neat. I also liked the funny voices that Mommy Bookworm made while reading the book to us. I think it's a book I could read mostly by myself with some help with some of the words. I would recommend it to other kids my age to read and/or have read to them.

This book was so much fun! The children loved it! Now they are calling me Ms. Libearian, instead of Ms. Librarian! Highly Recommended!

I read this book to my library classes which range from 4 year olds to 5th graders as a resource to teach them the proper way to treat a book and put it back on the shelf properly. The students love the book and are entranced by it as I read it to them. It has been very helpful showing the "5 finger rule" for reading a book and the importance of putting books back where they belong. I would recommend this book to any librarian to read to their classes.

I loved this book! As a Third Grade Teacher it was fun to present a familiar Fairy Tale with a twist. I was able to reinforce the five finger reading rule with humor and a surprise ending. It explained the concept of choosing a just right book with the updated tale of Goldisocks and her search for the just right thing. When used in conjunction with Reader's Workshop Model it was a hit.

Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians is a wonderful book to share as a read aloud to primary grade students. Its a great spin on a well known and beloved fairy tail and it not only teaches how to pick a "good fit" book but also how to treat books. I read this to my students during the first week of school as a prelude to writing classroom library rules to follow.

Something is wrong with the price of this book! This is an excellent book for any classroom but I would NEVER pay the price you have posted!