Just a Friendly Old Troll: The Three Billy Goats Gruff Retold

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-A rather pedantic retelling of the venerable Norwegian folktale is placed back-to-back with "Another Point of View." According to the Troll, who lives in a well-appointed home under the bridge, he is just being hospitable by inviting the Goats Gruff to dinner. It's not his fault that they think he wants to eat them. Newbury's Troll isn't especially fearsomehe's just an ugly manand Nidenoff's illustrations for the Troll's tale feature a pastoral setting with pointy-eared, smiling, humanlike characters. True, there are two sides to every story, but for more satisfying retellings and illustrations, rely on versions by Glen Rounds (Holiday, 1993), Janet Stevens (Harcourt, 1987), and Paul Galdone (Clarion, 1979).-Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE