goldilocks and the three bears

"Once upon a time, there was a delightful young girl named Goldilocks. Well, Goldilocks wasn't THAT delightful... she was actually very naughty and very, VERY fussy." Ok, I'll admit: elements of fairytales can be hard to explain to kids. "Wait, why did they get married? they just met!" "Why did he steal that giant's goose?" "Why did that little girl go into a stranger's house and eat their breakfast?" Often, these questions aren't addressed in the fairytale, so you are left on your own to justify behavior we wouldn't normally put up with.

Fortunately, this refreshing take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, illustrated by Ellie Jenkins and published by Kane Miller, doesn't let the fairytale off the hook. You're probably familiar with the basic story: girl smells oatmeal, wanders into house, eats oatmeal, breaks chair, falls asleep in a bed. Bears come home to an untidy house and frighten little girl away. This edition follows the same plot, but with a few exceptions: 

1. Goldilocks, as you see from the first lines above, comes across as a bit of a brat: bored from lack of TV, a snoop, and quite naughty. I like that the book doesn't excuse her bad behavior, but rather points it out (without being condescending or prudish).
2. The house still belongs to bears, but in this version, the family are people dressed in bear costume. This artistic choice isn't overtly explained, but it adds to the conversation and once again doesn't excuse the storyline because it's a "fairytale".
3. When Mama Bear discovers Goldilocks, she gently pats her hair and asks kindly, "Do your mama and papa know where you are?" Goldilocks, however, doesn't "speak bear language," so all she hears is "Grrrrrr". I like this twist, too - despite Goldilock's bad choices, Mama Bear is still a compassionate mom and is looking out for the little girl.

And, of course, there's another fun twist: the book comes with two masks (attached to a removable dust jacket and easily poked out from perforated edges). There are instructions to put on the bear mask whenever you see the word "bear," and to put on the golden hair mask when you see the name Goldilocks. Besides it being a novel idea, the masks help kids stay engaged and learn to identify repeated words.

​It's that book that playfully refreshes an old favorite - and allows for meaningful discussion all the while.

Book benefits:

• Story re-tells a classic with fresh twists that add meaning to the plot
• Wording includes changes in font to highlight important words and help young readers identify patterns
• Playful text with emphasized words makes this a perfect read aloud!
• Masks encourage interactive play and reading

Order your copy of Goldilocks, a Masked Fairy Tale, here! (hardcover with two masks, $11.99)

Also available: Little Red Riding Hood (hardcover with two masks, $11.99)