Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson (Candlewick Press, 2011) tells the story of Goldilocks from yet a different perspective. A bear who lives in the woods finds himself lost in the big city! The mixed media illustrations are just perfect for the mixed-up bear who just wants some peace and quiet. It’s lucky that he can try three bowls of porridge (which are really a soggy fishbowl, cat food, and crunchy toast), three chairs that aren’t really chairs at all, and three “beds” to try out to find the just right spot to rest. I love how this picture book requires the pictures to tell the full story, and the twist at the end is perfect way of bringing this mixed-up fairy tale full circle.
I love reading my son fairy tales. I particularly love fairy tales retold. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszkca (1989) was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. I love hearing a familiar story from some other characters point of view! Also, my own son has gone through his own love-phase with one fairy tale in particular, the Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. So of course the fairy tale books on the Cybils 2012 list have simply called out to me.
