Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Paperback)

by Jan Brett (Author) "Once upon a time there were three bears who lived together in a house of their own in a wood..." (more)
Key Phrases: wee bear, huge bear

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Children find the story of Goldilocks delightful for so many reasons. There's a trespassing little girl, for starters, who barges into the bears' house uninvited and not only snoops around, but eats the bears' food! The suspense of wondering whether she'll get caught only adds to the thrill of the trespassing itself, and the repeated lines about the three bears with their three distinct voices, bowls, chairs, and beds further endear this tale to the preschool set. In Jan Brett's Goldilocks, the bears and the slightly audacious flaxen-haired heroine all sport traditional (Black Forest?) costumes with detailed embroidery, and the wooden furniture is carved with bears, birds, and flowers. (Intricate borders--carved wooden panels in this book--are Jan Brett's special signature.) Brett is the illustrator of many well-known folk tales, fairy tales, and poems, such as The Mitten and Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat. Of her exquisite interpretation of this beloved story, Booklist writes, "This is perfection." (Ages 3 to 6) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
Brett's beautifully executed retelling of this classic story is distinguished by the use of luxuriant color and a wealth of visual detail. Her bears are attired in festive Bavarian garb; they live in a magnificent thatched rock-and-wood structure that leans against a tree; and their household furnishings are lavish and intricatea candle-holder in the likeness of an owl, an acorn-patterned rug, several carved wooden bears adorning the head- and footboards of Papa Bear's bed. The one overly precious touch is the continued reference to the baby bear as a "a little, small, wee bear." The rest of this is sumptuous and endlessly engrossing; with such a display before them, readers will hardly blame Goldilocks for her lack of restraint. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (May 7, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698113586
• ISBN-13: 978-0698113589
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #61,956 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Original story, well written, with beautiful illustrations., June 3, 1999

By	Lynn "Lynn" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Hardcover)

This is the original story, well told. I rate it at 4, versus 5, stars, though, because of the illustrations. Although absolutely beautiful, from an artistic point of view, they are a little complicated, from a child's point of view. For instance, there is an illustration of Goldilocks sitting on Papa Bear's chair, but no illustration of Mama Bear's chair or Goldilocks trying it out. Same for the beds. The main illustrations are framed with smaller illustrations which seem to be referencing all that Goldilocks does, but I bought this book for my two year old (who LOVES it), and I think it would be clearer for him if it had more explicit illustrations.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful art makes for bright adaptation of kids' classic., June 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Hardcover)

Brett's recreation of this much adapted, favourite nineteenth century folk-based tale is luminescent. A faithfully reworked text is simple and clear, poetic and great for reading aloud to younger children. While toddlers should enjoy the text and exploits of the "little, small, wee bear", older children and adults will derive much pleasure from this work's seemingly endless visual splendour. The painted illustrations are sublime. Brilliant, clear, richly textured, and exquisitely patterned, this book should be acquired for its artistry alone. One yearn's to reach out and touch the embroidery of the characters' clothing, stroke the bears' bristling fur, feel the porcelain-smooth, bright and beautifully decorated porridge bowls, and rub the wood grain of the handsomely carved house posts and bed boards. Beyond their technical brilliance, each painting richly illustrates the corresponding text and enlivens its characters. In Brett's version Goldilocks is at once angelic and yet completely lacking self restraint, the violated bears are more bemused than belligerent, and baby bear is a curious, playful and frolicking tot. Delightful border art offers additional commentary and foreshadowing, as well as a charming,independent narrative about a family of gardening mice. A must.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Goldilocks - A Review of the Jan Brett Version, May 24, 2005

By	Pam Tee "Harmless" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

[It is odd that some of the below reviews here are for the James Marshall version of Goldilocks, but this review is for the Jan Brett book.]

As with all of Ms. Brett's books, the illustrations are sumptuous and wonderfully detailed. I agree however with 2 previous reviewers that there are some illustrations missing and that the wording is cumbersome to read outloud.

By missing illustrations, we mean that not every picture of the trilogy of bowls, chairs, and beds (big, medium, little) is shown and I think this makes it difficult for small children to follow. This oversight seems particularly odd considering that Ms. Brett could have included the missing actions in the usual side-bar pictures that she is renown for.

Also problematic (but overcome by the patient parent) is the cumbersome wording that refers to the bears not as momma, pappa, and baby bear, but "great, huge bear", "middle-sized bear", and "little, small wee bear". Perhaps it parallels the original telling of the story, but to me and at least one other parent, it made if hard to read outloud.

That said, my children (3 and 5; boy and girl) give this a definite thumbs up as an excellent addition to your bookshelves.