Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Title:   Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Author: Armand Eisen

Illustrator: Lynn Bywaters Ferris

Publisher:  Ariel Books

Genre: Folk Tale

Level:  Primary

Number of Pages: 16

Pub. Date: 1987

Summary: A little girl named Goldilocks goes for a walk in the forest and comes upon a house where she enters and finds to her delight three bowls of porridge. The first one she tastes is too hot, the next too cold but the third one just right so she eats it all up. Goldilocks finds the three different size chairs where she tries them out and finds the first one too hard, the next too soft, and then the little one just right but it breaks when she sits in it. As she wonders in the home she finds three beds and tries them out. The first bed is too hard, the next too soft but the third is just right and she curls up and falls asleep. Meanwhile the owners come home who happen to be three bears, Papa, Mama and little baby bear. They discover the outcome of what Goldilocks has done to their porridge, chairs and finally their beds. Goldilocks wakes with a fright when she sees and hears the bears; she jumps from the bed and runs away as fast as she can.

Critique: This folktale tells the adventure of three bears when a little girl comes into their home while they are away. This story is definitely timeless and has been told thousands of times in many languages. It features a simple story structure and an indistinct setting, which helps it keep it’s timelessness. It’s appropriate for children of all ages and this version adds creative illustrations to complement the story.

Response:  This story reminds me of doing drama in elementary school. When our teacher introduced drama into our curriculum we practiced first with this story because we all knew it by heart. I remember it being a lot of fun and being a story that was definitely a classic.