The Three Bears

Publishers Weekly

In the Once Upon a Time series, a trio of classic tales present heroic threesomes in titles adapted by Raina Moore and illustrated by Thea Kliros: Three Billy Goats Gruff; Three Little Pigs; and The Three Bears. The three goats outwit the ugly old troll, the three pigs send the wolf howling and the three bears frighten away Goldilocks (though in this version, they ask her to come back and play) in pale pastel watercolors. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

PreS-These board books offer up sweetened versions of popular nursery tales. In Three Bears, a very young and innocent-looking Goldilocks intrudes upon the bears' house in the usual fashion, but when she runs away, Baby Bear shouts after her to come back and play. The little girl accepts his invitation, and "From that day forward- was always welcome in the Bears' home." In Billy Goats, the three animals walk on their hind legs over a bridge guarded by a green-faced, yellow-toothed troll with hairy warts. He looks only mildly frightening as he threatens to gobble each of them up, and readers are spared the gory detail of the original when the biggest Gruff butts the ugly goblin into the river. In a straightforward retelling of The Three Pigs, the wolf wreaks his usual havoc, except that the straw and stick dwellers are spared being eaten, and he suffers only a scorched tail in the end. Serviceable illustrations with soft edges and muted colors accompany the texts. Because of their sturdy construction and small format, these books might be useful introductions to these timeless tales for the youngest listeners.-Melinda Piehler, North Tonawanda Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.