Goldilocks and the Three Knocks by Gregory Barrington
ISBN: 0062891375
Genres: Fairy Tale, Folklore
Format: Picture Book Fiction
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A brightly illustrated, humorous “prequel” to the traditional Goldilocks story. In this version, Goldi tells readers how the three bears came to her new house in the woods with a pie, and then unexpectedly stayed and hibernated in her bed for the winter. Barrington’s digital illustrations are in keeping with the text. Young children will find pleasure in the silliness of the story, and it would be an easy, fun read-aloud.

There was one objectionable line, however, which should have been best left out, which describes Goldilocks cooking “low carb, high fiber meals” – this is meant to be funny (probably more for grownups) but frankly, anything that makes mention of dieting, no matter how obliquely, in a picture book for children, is distressingly misplaced. For that reason, the book rates fewer stars.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library