The Three Bears [Hardcover]

Byron Barton (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

In a rhythmic text and striking pictures, Byron Barton retells the classic story of the three bears and a little girl named Goldilocks.

Mr. Barton's simple words, bold images, and imaginative use of color have made his many picture books perennial favorites with very young children.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With his pared-down text and one-dimensional, vibrantly colored images, Barton ( Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones ; I Want to Be an Astronaut ) offers a neatly distilled version of this classic tale. Preschoolers can memorize the simple verse in no time and will delight in chiming in as Papa, Mama and Baby Bear complain in turn about the apparent presence of an unwanted guest. Barton adds a few minor variations: the first two chairs in which Goldilocks sits rock "too fast" and "too slow"; finally, Baby Bear's chair "rocked just right." Among the winsome artistic touches are a telltale trail of flowers that the primitively rendered girl leaves throughout the bears' house and true-to-life crease marks in pillows and blankets. This unassuming rendition is best suited to those at the younger end of the intended age span. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-- The Three Bears go basic, and they've seldom looked better. Recognizing that the tale's youngest fans focus on its core and skip over the embellishments, Barton distills it to a bare outline and the rhythmic refrains that preschoolers love to hear. This is a celebration of their literary needs and a huge success in meeting them. The illustrations are comfortably reminiscent of children's drawing styles, both in simplicity and vision, including a woods of lollipop trees. The paintings are bold and brightly colored; most include just the fundamental items (three chairs, three beds, etc.) with no extra clutter. Observant listeners will notice a few nice details: the single flowers left behind by Goldilocks at the sites of her explorations; the use of one color to identify each bear's belongings (Papa Bear's pants, bed, bowl, and chair are blue). This volume hits the target so squarely that its success is virtually guaranteed as a story-time crowd-pleaser. It's an uncomplicated, relaxing bedtime story and a confidence-builder for very young children who want books to flip through solo. In libraries that already enjoy the handsomeness of Jan Brett's version (Putnam, 1987), the atmosphere of the Eisen/Ferris variation (Knopf, 1987), and the humor of James Marshall's rendition (Dial, 1988), Barton's retelling will be a wonderful complement. --Liza Bliss, formerly at Leominster Pub . Lib . , MA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperFestival; 1st edition (November 30, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060204230
• ISBN-13: 978-0060204235
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Vote for Goldilocks, February 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Three Bears Board Book (Board book)

Our toddler daughter adores this book, and constantly wants to read it over and over. It piqued her awareness of possession -- she started pointing at our chairs and saying "daddy's" and "mommy's", and then pointing and everything else she could find and saying daddy's" or "mommy's". She also made many more comments about how hot or cold various food or beverages were. We have some of Barton's other books, and I think his illustration style works incredibly well for very young children.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of our family's most favorite books!, November 20, 2002

By 

K. Ryan (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Three Bears Board Book (Board book)

We checked this book out of the library when our oldest daughter was 2 (she is now 7). She loved it so much, we bought it. It was the first book that she memorized and we video taped her "reading" it and using different voices for each bear. The same thing happened with our son (now 4) - it was the first book he "read" to himself. And he still enjoys having the story read to him (sometimes by his big sister). Now our third child (2 year old daughter) loves to have the book read to her and "reads" it to whoever will listen.

The colors and illustrations are bold and fun. The story and illustrations are simple yet there are small details - like flowers that Goldilocks drops as she moves along - that spark a child's interest and interaction. We have even done projects using this book. With construction paper, scissors and glue, the children recreate pages from the book.

I can't say enough about this book. We have bought it for all of our little friends and for any new babies that arrive.
We have also enjoyed and purchased Barton's other books - but there is just a special place in our hearts for this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Three Bears story for young children!!, September 12, 2002

By 

Tiare Solorzano "Mother of 3, teacher, reader... (Citrus Heights, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Three Bears (Hardcover)

I can't give enough rave reviews about this Byron Barton version of the Three Bears. The story is intrigueing enough for our almost 3yr old son, while the bright, simple illustrations hold the interest of our 11-month old daughter. The story is not at all wordy, yet it is definitely the complete Three Bears story. Byron Barton even adds another concept to the story. While the porridge is too hot or cold, and the beds are too hard or soft, the rocking chairs rock too fast or too slow. I love the early concepts the story introduces and the simple, yet well done illustrations and writing.