Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Roberto Piumini, illustrated by Valentina Salmaso (Storybook Classics). My son said of Piumini’s version, “It’s not a good story. Goldilocks did not say sorry.” But she doesn’t say “sorry” in many of the books, so I’m not sure why this one stood out as not a favorite for him. It’s true

Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Gennady Spirin (Marshall Cavendish, 2009). Gennady Spirin’s story reminds me a lot of Jan Brett’s, in that his story seems to have a distinct voice, thanks to its distinct realistic illustrations. To be honest, I am not a fan of the dark illustrations in this one. The bears and the house

The Three Bears by Byron Barton (Harper, 1991). Byron Barton’s illustrated story is as basic as it can be, yet I have always enjoyed Mr. Barton’s simple stories and illustrations for a young child. He seems to show that less is more, that patterns and simplicity seem to capture the reader in ways that detailed illustrations do

Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett (Puffin, 1996). Jan Brett’s strength is in her detailed illustrations. She is the master of detail. I love the depiction of Goldilocks; she looks like a girl from a photograph given the painstaking detail. I also particularly like the details on the three different bowls of porridge.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall (Dial, 1988). James Marshall’s version is the one, of all of these, that we own. Goldilocks is a rotten and dense girl with a strong personality. It is just so funny. We’ve also seen the Scholastic animation of the story, which use the same illustrations, and James

The graphic novel Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch is subtitled “Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl,” and that just about describes its universality and its strangeness. Mirka lives in an Orthodox Jewish town, and she is struggling not only with being a preteen but also with her nemesis: learning to