Goldie and the Three Bears by Diane Stanley (HarperCollins 2007). As the cover suggests, Ms Stanley’s version of the story has an autumn setting. Young Goldie is a picky girl who only likes her peanut butter sandwiches one way, loves to read books every afternoon, and otherwise ostracizes friends by her honesty about her preferences. One day, she gets off the school bus at the wrong stop and comes across a house that has three sandwiches sitting on the table. Maybe it’s needless to say, but only the third is just right. By the end, it turns out that Baby Bear is just as ornery and picky as Goldie, and they become friends. I like this retelling for the friendship aspect, that sometimes it takes a special person to be a friend who is just right. The seasonal illustrations and Goldie’s picky personality also give this a unique feel.
