The Silly Story of Goldie Locks and the Three Squares

Hello Reader! Math Level 2

by Grace Maccarone, Anne Kennedy (Illustrator)

Visiting the pentagon-shaped house of the three Squares, Goldie Locks is amazed by the cottage's geometrically shaped furniture and remembers an important mathematical fact just in time to escape when the Squares come home. Original.

Genres: Mathematics, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Childrens

1 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Grace Maccarone is an American children’s book editor and author, notably of Miss Lina’s Ballerinas, illustrated by Christine Davenier, and its sequel Miss Lina’s Ballerinas and the Prince. She has also worked as an editor at Scholastic, Wireless Generation, and currently Holiday House.

Reviews

[Kelsey]

This was a very odd story. It did talk about shapes, which is what I was looking for when I chose it, but the story of Goldie Locks is always a complicated one because her behavior is so wrong and she's never really punished for it. I had to change some of the language as I was reading it aloud to my child because it was either rudely and/or too cavalierly phrased, which I didn't appreciate (the book said, "It was stupid to walk into a stranger's house like that"). I'd rather my two year old child didn't start calling things stupid, so I adjusted this word to "not safe," since that is the real intention and good lesson of that sentence.

[sarah young]

My youngest child is currently learning about shapes in school, so I thought this would be a fun and educational adaptation of a classic tale that would reinforce their learning. However, I did need to make some hasty revisions to certain words and phrases, such as replacing the line "it was stupid to walk into a stranger's house" with "unsafe…". I was surprised that this had passed an editor's review, given its intended audience of children. The ending was abrupt and seemed random, and I felt that with some more careful consideration of language, this could have been a more effective and engaging story.

[Kezlin]

It was really funny to read, and my siblings enjoyed it.

[Emma]

This book follows the story of Goldie Locks in a similar style to the original Goldilocks. This Goldie Locks, however, stumbles into a house of shapes, and she struggles with different polygons and circles and their different properties. As she finds the perfect shapes for her wants and needs, readers learn about each shape (sides, angles, straight/round). Eventually, she is found by the titular three squares and chased out of their house.

I like this book because it introduces geometry to a young audience in a stealthy manner. It covers angles, side numbers, and different appearances of the same shape. It also provides supplementary activities at the end that parents and teachers both can use.

I would use this book when covering shapes, and not just for sight words. Students can look in the book's pictures and find different shapes, and afterwards I would "hide" different shapes mentioned in the book around the classroom for students to find and identify.

[Anna Marie]

Read with Logan 24 jan 2024

A modern take on goldilocks but with math shapes, triangles, squares, and rectangles.

[Chloe Gioia]

fell flat and was too hard to understand the line rule at the end

[Shayla]

This story takes a twist on the classic story of Goldie Locks and the three bears. But here it’s the three squares. She is walking through the woods and she comes upon a house. She tries the squares cereal, and finds the right one. She sits on the squares furniture, until she finds the right one. And as soon as she finds the right bed, she takes a nap in it. When she wakes up the three squares are there, and she is scared and runs away.
It wasn’t my favorite book because it was almost too silly of a book. A child would love it though. It is creative in teaching children their shapes.
I would use this book in my class room because it helps children learn some different shapes. It also helps them learn some simple math terms.

[EDUC535]

Danielle M.

The Silly Story of Goldie Locks and the Three Squares is a story that is very similar to a very popular fairy tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This book follows a young girl names Goldie Locks and her adventure in the Three Squares' house.

This is a great book for interdisciplinary teaching with Mathematics and Literacy. This is a great book to teach geometry, but also a fun way for students to read a fairy tale that is different from the original. I like to use this book in my fairy tale unit. As a class we compare and contrast this version of Goldie Locks to the original and other different types of Goldilocks books.

[Ashley]

This story is a twist off of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Instead of bears they are squares. This book helps students who struggle with mathematics; it teaches students various shapes.

[Charlene]

THIS WAS ONE OF MY FAV CHILDHOOD STORIES

[Shay]

An interesting take on Goldie Locks. It teaches about shapes while sharing a fun story.