Goldilocks and the three bears by Sue DeGennaro

Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781743815878.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Goldilocks (retelling), Bears, Fairy tale. Using watercolour and pencil, DeGennaro creates a charming series of images of Goldilocks as she takes over the Bears' house while they are away. The quizzical looks on the faces of the three bears remind us that Goldilocks is an interloper, taking liberties in someone else's house. The Goldilocks story has always held my interest, neither a cautionary tale or fairy tale, it was collected by Robert Southey an English poet in the early nineteenth century, adapted from an oral tale. Initially the story was more cautionary in its nature, having an old, dirty, ugly and foul mouthed crone as the interloper, who runs away and is never seen again after being disturbed by the bears.
But in this more well known version, Goldilocks enters the house while the bears are away waiting for their porridge to cool. The number three figures prominently as the girl tries the three bowls of porridge, the three chairs and finally the three beds. When the three bears return she is surprised by them and runs away, never to return to their house.
An interesting time could be spent using DeGennaro's version of Goldilocks, comparing it with other versions in your school library (and there are quite a few), and then using the Internet to find some original versions.
Children could be shown the idea of a cautionary tale, using the Goldilocks story as well as many other tales, particularly from the Grimm brothers, which warn children of the perils of their behaviour.
This is a strongly bound and inviting production crying out to be included in the library collection.
Fran Knight