Goldie and the Three Bears

by Diane Stanley

In this spirited new version of "Goldilocks," we meet a determined heroine with a mind of her own. Goldie knows exactly what she likes -- and what she doesn't. Can she help it if everyone she invites over is too bossy or too boring or too snobby or too rough? What she desperately wants is a friend who is just right -- someone she can love with all her heart. Then one day, Goldie gets off the bus at the wrong stop, walks to a nearby cottage to find help, and opens the door. . . Diane Stanley, author and illustrator of Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter , once again takes an old tale and gives it a fresh spin that is funny as well as perceptive. Readers will love accompanying Goldie on her up-to-date adventure and discovering the clever, heartwarming surprise at its end.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Friendship, Childrens, Animals, Storytime, Fractured Fairy Tales

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Diane Stanley is an American children's author and illustrator, a former medical illustrator, and a former art director for the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons. Born in 1943 in Abilene, Texas, she was educated at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX) and at Johns Hopkins University. She is perhaps best known for her many picture-book biographies, some of which were co-authored by her husband, Peter Vennema. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a modern-day retelling of the old classic. Stanley's illustrations are fine, but I guess what bothered me was that Goldie's pickiness and insistence on everything being just right is essentially rewarded - she's never forced to compromise.

That said, I did burst out laughing at the first line in the book - "I want PLAIN pasta with JUST butter and NO green things, please."

Oy! This is my youngest son to a T!

[Adia]

cute

[Sydnee Gann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goldie is a little girl who likes everything absolutely perfect; that is until she finds herself in an unfamiliar situation after she gets off the wrong bus stop. Does Goldie change her ways of perfection and become open to new friendships and environments?

I like this book, but I am not crazy about it. I could see myself potentially using it in my classroom.

I think this book could show students that you should always be open to any and every situation that comes your way, whether that be new friends or new opportunities.

[Michaela Klegseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems by the title and our childhood that this book is about goldilock and the three bears but this author created a book similar but totally different. The main character Goldie is a little girl who is searching for a friend that is perfect in her eyes and someone who she can love with her whole heart but at the end finds a friend that meets that vision .I loved in the end of the book the family was understandable to her being in their house. I loved how the author kept the three elements of goldilock and the three bears with the too hard too soft and just right.The plot was this little girl with gold hair looking for a friend that she can love and not too much for her. She did have friends but their personality qualities was too much for her. Goldie didn't really change through out the book but she did see that no one is perfect.The perfect friend in her mind that she had made at the end was the little bear that had the perfect snack,bed and book. The theme comprised on the three elements of not quite right and you can love someone and them not being perfect.The writing made it easy to read and it was smooth to slid through the book.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this contemporary version of a famous Grimm tale, the little girl isn’t an inconsiderate homebreaker. No, she’s just a determined child who knows her own mind and one day gets off at the wrong bus stop.

Colorful pictures enliven this story of a picky little girl who only settles for what is best for her. Goldie isn’t necessarily sullen or unappreciative. She just wants things that she can love completely and, if something isn’t just right, she refuses to settle. She’s not a meek little miss who’d eat a restaurant dish that was a little too salty or undercooked. No, she’d summon the maitre’d and demand that it be taken back to the kitchens and replaced. Nothing wrong with assertiveness in a girl.

The meeting with the titular ursines leads to a sweet and unexpected outcome. Goldie finally gets the one thing she’s been longing for and you smile at her happy ending.

[Jessica Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Goldie gets off the bus one day from school at the wrong stop, she wanders upon a house with no one there. She decides to go inside and make herself comfortable. Read and find out what Goldie does at the house, and read to find out what happens when the residents return home. I rated this book a 4/5 stars because I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. This is a great book to read to kids because there is a lot of repetition in the story. Therefore, the kids will be able to think about what comes next in the story which keeps their minds engaged.

[Saylah Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is appropriate for kids ages 5-8. I really enjoyed this twist on the classic story of Goldilocks. The book introduces Goldie as a girl who is picky and knows what she wants, which explains the events that follow. In the end, she finds her ‘perfect’ friend in the baby bear. I think the lesson the young children reading would be able to take from the story is that a good friend is someone that you can have fun with and be there for one another.

[Christine Turner]

In this spirited new version of "Goldilocks," we meet a determined heroine with a mind of her own. Goldie knows exactly what she likes, and what she doesn't. Can she help it if everyone she invites over is too bossy or too boring or too snobby or too rough? What she desperately wants is a friend who is "just right" -- someone she can love with all her heart. Then one day, Goldie gets off the bus at the wrong stop, walks to a nearby cottage to find help, and opens the door. . . Diane Stanley, author and illustrator of "Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter," once again takes an old tale and gives it a fresh spin that is funny as well as perceptive. Readers will love accompanying Goldie on her up-to-date adventure and discovering the clever, heartwarming surprise at its end.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. It's a spin on the original story of Goldilocks and the three bears with a few twists. The story is charming, heartwarming, and adorable. It has adorable and colorful illustrations.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute. Friendship

[Lu · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustration is awesome, but the story is a little lame.

[Courtney Ennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this new version of the book “Goldilocks,” there is little blonde girl name Goldie who knows exactly what she likes and doesn’t. She is very particular about her food, clothes, bed, and friends. Everything she wants has to be just right in order for her to enjoy it. Her main goal is to find a friend that she can love with all her heart but the ones she hangs out with are either too snobby or too boring. One day when Goldie was coming home from the school, she got off at the wrong bus stop. There was a house in front of it so she decided to open the door and go inside. She found a snack, a chair, and a bed that were all just right so she decided to take a nap in it. When she woke up, she was in for a big surprise.
This story is a classic and has been around for a very long time. I like the old book but I also like this new updated version because it is modern and relatable. I like how the illustrations are big and colorful so it’s easy to see what is going on in the story. On the inside cover there are pictures of little bears lining the page, which helped me know there will be a lot about bears in the book. Even though I have read this a bunch of times, this new version had a couple of different things. The end of the book was a surprise because the author threw in a little twist that was different from the original. I like when authors do this because it keeps the reader interested especially if they think they already know the ending. I also feel like this story can relate to kids because kids always want that best friend to hang out with and always count on. It shows that it is possible to have someone that is just right too. I think this is a great children’s book to read and I would really recommend it to kids or adults who enjoy these types of books.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Goldie and The Three Bears
Author: Diane Stanley
Genre: Traditional Literature

Plot Summary: In this version of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears there is a young girl who always liked things her way. She likes sweater that aren't too scratchy, hats that fit her head and friends that are just like her. She didn't want anyone or anything to be perfect, she just wanted to be able to loved them with all her heart. One day when Goldie got off at the wrong bus stop she approached a cute little house. After no one answered she opened the door and entered. She found sandwiches, books, and beds in the house. There were three of each and each time she tried them the third one was the best fit for her. She passed out on the third bed and dreamed that three bears came into their home finding everything a mess. Goldie ended up finding a great friend after all, Little Bear!

Literary Merit: I would say theme is a part of the story that I would want to teach to my students. Since it is about a little girl who trespasses I would explain, or ask them to explain to me why what she did was wrong. So even though the girl ended up finding her perfect match for a friend at the end of the book, kids should learn why what she did was not the best idea.

Reader Connection: Connecting with the theme that I mentioned I would have the students write an alternative ending that doesn't involve trespassing which would still involve Goldie making a very good friend. This would help their writing skills as well as develop a moral reasoning. I could also have students do a Venn diagram. to compare this version of Goldie Locks to a cultural variant of the fable.

[Mackenzie Wilson]

This book is about a girl and a family of bears: mama bear, papa bear, and baby bear. They were just about to eat their lunch, but their porridge was too hot, so they went for a walk in the woods. Then a little girl named Goldilocks came across their house and went inside. She saw the three bowls of porridge on the table and tasted some from each bowl. The big bowl was too hot, the medium-sized bowl was too cold, but the smallest bowl was just right, so she ate it all up. Then she saw three chairs and decided to sit down. The big chair was too hard, the medium-sized chair was too soft, but the little chair was just right. As Goldilocks was getting comfortable in the smallest chair, it broke. So, she went in the next room and found the beds. The big bed was too hard, the medium-sized bed was too soft, but the little bed was just right, and Goldilocks fell last asleep. The three bears came home to find their house in a mess. Then they went into the next room and found Goldilocks asleep in baby bear's bed. When she awoke, she was so frightened she ran out of the bears' house and didn't stop running till she got home.

[Hend Alalwani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age range:K-7
Personal reaction:
-I really enjoy reading it because it shows the importance of friendships. Also, the illustration is great because the readers see what is the story about, and it is colorful. However, I do not like it because children might learn that it is okay to go to stranger house and talk with them. The language is simple and easy to understand.

Purpose:
-Read aloud for kindergarten- 7grade children.
-Children would learn how to choose what they want like types of food, toys, and books.

Curriculum:
-Read aloud.
-Discuss the importance of being independent and know what they want.
-Talk about that no one is perfect and talk about what the benefits of having friends.

[Jessicca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loosely based on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this is the tale of Goldie, a young girl who is very particular in what she likes and does not like. Her favorite thing is peanut butter with chunks sandwich on white bread, her teddy bear, her book about bears, and her just-right, very cozy bed. Because she is so particular, Goldie does not have any friends. One day, she got off the bus at the wrong stop and looked for someplace where she could call her mom. She wanders into a house and the rest is similar to the original story. Except for the ending, Goldie stays to play with Baby Bear and they become fast friends.

[Kayla Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took the original Goldie Locks and the Three Bears book and added a few changes to it. The book starts with Goldie trying to find the perfect friend to play with. She goes on a stroll and finds a house. Instead of the soup she ate a sandwich at the bears house and then she tried the chairs and beds out. The bears got home and found her and forgave her for everything and her and the littlest bear became friends. This would be a good book to use when you are talking about traditional literature in my future classroom. Then you could use the book to discuss with the students why this falls under that genre.

[Shannon K]

This is a new age version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It focuses a lot on likes and dislikes and how it is ok to have favor of something’s over others. It also focuses on the importance of friendships. This story holds true to a lot of the same things that the classic tale consisted of but is more modern and has a little more dept to the story that I think children will really enjoy. I also think that children would real enjoy the illustrations. They are colorful, simple, fun to look at, and they all go along great with the story line.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this rendition of Goldilocks she was a child who new exactly what she liked and because of that it was hard for her to find the perfect friend. One day Goldilocks got off the bus at the wrong stop. She found a house she liked and rang the door bell. No one was home, but the door was unlocked. The story continues like the traditional Goldilocks until the end because she becomes friends with the little bear.

Wonderful Story.

[Emmeline Guest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the worry that reading this story to children may encourage them to get off the bus at the wrong stop and enter a strange house ... the story is an adorable re-telling of the classic - turning a growling bear family (and a very angry baby bear) into an understanding family (and a cute baby bear into the perfect friend for Goldie).

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern Goldilocks story--Goldie knows just what she likes and what she doesn't like & she is very picky. She is even picky about other kids and her friends. Then one day she gets off the bus at the wrong stop. She sees a cute house and rings a bell and goes in and finds 3 sandwiches, 3 chairs, 3 beds, and eventually meets a bear family. Best of all she meets a new friend!

[Jane G Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is modern, re-telling of Goldilocks and it's sweet and clever. In addition to Goldie finding her way into a bear's home, she also has the added conflict of needing a new friend. The pictures are whimsical, the text is fun, and the ending is happy. A little girl book, that most little boys will probably like, too. Especially if they like peanut butter sandwiches, no jelly, and no crusts :)

[Robyn Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story creates an interesting twist to the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It is a cute story that focuses on character relationships. This story would serve as an excellent companion book for the traditional story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, updated version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" as well as a story about friendship. It's a great book to read to children, especially as they begin to form friendships with other children their age.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 21-mo-old son really really liked this book, and I thought it was a cute, modern, twist on the traditional "Goldilocks and the 3 Bears". The illustrations are cute, and Goldie has a fun, quirky personality, which I found charming.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was pulling traditional versions of Goldilocks for a teacher, I first thought this one would be too much of a fractured fairy tale version for PreK. However, it follows the traditional tale very closely, with an added friendship thread as well. I think the 4 year olds will like it.

[Laura Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice twist on the common fairy tale . It gives a different point of view and perception of Goldie. Children can create a venn diagram to compare the original story to the newer twist. Also, children can make predictions and compare the original story.

[Jazzmyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Goldie and the Three Bears. This book is about a girl who is looking for a friend and finds her way to the bears house, where she ends up becoming friends with Little Bear. I would use this book to talk about friendship.

[Liaken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a charming book with soft, lovely pictures.

[Sakura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this version. Funny, sweet.