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Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Retells the traditional tale with modern touches, such as a television in the bears' home and jeans on Goldilocks.
- GenresPicture Books
26 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 1992
7 people want to read
About the author
Tony Ross
1,234 books118 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Tony Ross is a British illustrator and author of children's picture books. He was a student at the Liverpool School of Art and Design. Ross has had quite a few occupations, such as cartoonist, graphic designer, art director at an advertising agency, senior lecturer in art and head of the illustration course at Manchester Polytechnic.
Ross won the 1986 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, picture books category, for Ich komm dich holen!, (I'm coming to get you! - Andersen, 1984. He was runner-up for the 1990 Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject, for Dr. Xargle's book of Earth Tiggers.
Meet the illustrator
What is your favourite animal?
A cat
What is your favourite boy’s name?
Bill
What is your favourite girl’s name?
Roxanne
What is your favourite food?
Lobster
What is your favourite music?
Irish
What is your favourite hobby?
Sailing
Tony Ross is a British illustrator and author of children's picture books. He was a student at the Liverpool School of Art and Design. Ross has had quite a few occupations, such as cartoonist, graphic designer, art director at an advertising agency, senior lecturer in art and head of the illustration course at Manchester Polytechnic.
Ross won the 1986 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, picture books category, for Ich komm dich holen!, (I'm coming to get you! - Andersen, 1984. He was runner-up for the 1990 Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject, for Dr. Xargle's book of Earth Tiggers.
Meet the illustrator
What is your favourite animal?
A cat
What is your favourite boy’s name?
Bill
What is your favourite girl’s name?
Roxanne
What is your favourite food?
Lobster
What is your favourite music?
Irish
What is your favourite hobby?
Sailing
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 6, 2017
Title:
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Author: Tony Ross
Illustrator: Tony Ross
Genre: nursery rhyme
Theme(s): folklore, picture book, family, animals
Opening line/sentence: “Once upon a time, not so very long ago, and not so very far away, there were three bears.”
Brief Book Summary: Retells the traditional tale with modern touches, such as a television in the bears’ home and jeans on Goldilocks. Goldilocks travels around the forest and visits the Three Bear’s house, trying to find the porridge, chair, and bed that are “just right.”
Professional Recommendation/Review #1
In the manner of a parent trying to make a familiar old story more immediate, a colloquial update featuring white bears who ``had lots to eat and a color television set'' and a moptop Goldilocks in jeans. Ross's scribbly, deftly constructed square illustrations incorporate various amusing details, including art in many different styles hanging on the bears' walls (Japanese, a Modigliani, and Baby Bear's own pictures of airplanes and superheroes, etc.). The text, extended with irreverent details, is fairly lively; kids may find the illustrations sophisticated, though their attention will be grabbed by Goldilocks jumping on the bed, and certainly by the bears' fierce teeth when they scare Goldilocks away. As a lighthearted modern take, though, James Marshall's delightful version (1988) is to be preferred; still, this is also acceptable, where funds permit. (Folklore/Picture Book. 4-8)
• Kirkus Reviews
• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Professional Recommendation/Review #2
The traditional story but given a touch of Tony Ross humour so the bears are of the polar variety, Father Bear wears spectacles to watch television and Goldilocks has a thick thatch of hair and wears jeans and sneakers. The text too is enlivened by Ross's embellishments: Goldilocks is 'a rather nosey little girl', hence her venturing into the bears' house uninvited when they were out visiting Great Aunt May who 'can't hear a word we say and just sits there knitting'. Such embellishments make this rendition particularly popular with solo readers seven and over who have enjoyed listening to the more straightforward versions. Don't miss this one. Category: Infant/Junior. . ...., Beaver, 2.50 pbk. Ages 5 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Arrow (London:), PUBLISHED: 1982 c1976.)
• Jill Bennett
• CLCD
• http://www.clcd.com/#/bookdetail/2/8/...
• Response to Two Professional Reviews
Both reviews note that Ross added a bit a humor and flair to this traditional story. The review by Kirkus made the point that there were other re-imaginations of the traditional story that are better and I have to agree. I was not the biggest fan of the illustrations in this version and I thought the text was laid out on the page in a boring manner. Overall, I thought this was a fine book and the story is a classic that can be enjoyed by any child.
Evaluation of Literary Elements
I think that the pictures in this book show a lot of movement. There a lot of scribbled lines that I found to be an interesting element. I also found that the color of the pictures brought attention to Goldilocks’ bright yellow hair over dull, dark, backgrounds. This book is slightly text heavy and I believe would be a little challenging for young readers. However the themes in the story are definitely designed to appeal to young readers.
Consideration of Instructional Application
I could set up a station with objects that are “not enough, too much, or just right” and have them work together to decide which one would fit in each category. I might extend the book after read aloud by having my students write their own “not enough, too much, or just right” scenarios. I could possibly connect this book to math by connecting it to counting. I will have them decide if the amount of something is too much or too little.
• Example of Reading Log Submission on the next page...
Author: Tony Ross
Illustrator: Tony Ross
Genre: nursery rhyme
Theme(s): folklore, picture book, family, animals
Opening line/sentence: “Once upon a time, not so very long ago, and not so very far away, there were three bears.”
Brief Book Summary: Retells the traditional tale with modern touches, such as a television in the bears’ home and jeans on Goldilocks. Goldilocks travels around the forest and visits the Three Bear’s house, trying to find the porridge, chair, and bed that are “just right.”
Professional Recommendation/Review #1
In the manner of a parent trying to make a familiar old story more immediate, a colloquial update featuring white bears who ``had lots to eat and a color television set'' and a moptop Goldilocks in jeans. Ross's scribbly, deftly constructed square illustrations incorporate various amusing details, including art in many different styles hanging on the bears' walls (Japanese, a Modigliani, and Baby Bear's own pictures of airplanes and superheroes, etc.). The text, extended with irreverent details, is fairly lively; kids may find the illustrations sophisticated, though their attention will be grabbed by Goldilocks jumping on the bed, and certainly by the bears' fierce teeth when they scare Goldilocks away. As a lighthearted modern take, though, James Marshall's delightful version (1988) is to be preferred; still, this is also acceptable, where funds permit. (Folklore/Picture Book. 4-8)
• Kirkus Reviews
• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Professional Recommendation/Review #2
The traditional story but given a touch of Tony Ross humour so the bears are of the polar variety, Father Bear wears spectacles to watch television and Goldilocks has a thick thatch of hair and wears jeans and sneakers. The text too is enlivened by Ross's embellishments: Goldilocks is 'a rather nosey little girl', hence her venturing into the bears' house uninvited when they were out visiting Great Aunt May who 'can't hear a word we say and just sits there knitting'. Such embellishments make this rendition particularly popular with solo readers seven and over who have enjoyed listening to the more straightforward versions. Don't miss this one. Category: Infant/Junior. . ...., Beaver, 2.50 pbk. Ages 5 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Arrow (London:), PUBLISHED: 1982 c1976.)
• Jill Bennett
• CLCD
• http://www.clcd.com/#/bookdetail/2/8/...
• Response to Two Professional Reviews
Both reviews note that Ross added a bit a humor and flair to this traditional story. The review by Kirkus made the point that there were other re-imaginations of the traditional story that are better and I have to agree. I was not the biggest fan of the illustrations in this version and I thought the text was laid out on the page in a boring manner. Overall, I thought this was a fine book and the story is a classic that can be enjoyed by any child.
Evaluation of Literary Elements
I think that the pictures in this book show a lot of movement. There a lot of scribbled lines that I found to be an interesting element. I also found that the color of the pictures brought attention to Goldilocks’ bright yellow hair over dull, dark, backgrounds. This book is slightly text heavy and I believe would be a little challenging for young readers. However the themes in the story are definitely designed to appeal to young readers.
Consideration of Instructional Application
I could set up a station with objects that are “not enough, too much, or just right” and have them work together to decide which one would fit in each category. I might extend the book after read aloud by having my students write their own “not enough, too much, or just right” scenarios. I could possibly connect this book to math by connecting it to counting. I will have them decide if the amount of something is too much or too little.
• Example of Reading Log Submission on the next page...
April 10, 2024
Omg it’s the first ever book Tony Ross ever Illustrated!
Even though this is literally just Goldilocks and the Three Bears, word for word, Tony Rosses lively and expressionistic illustration style bumps this up to five stars! I’m so in love with art styles that manage to be experimental and not look like what you could consider to be a “classic” example of “good art.” Yet to the trained eye clearly invokes all of the elements of “good art” and Tony Ross is a master of that! Plus the lighting in this is so good!
Even though this is literally just Goldilocks and the Three Bears, word for word, Tony Rosses lively and expressionistic illustration style bumps this up to five stars! I’m so in love with art styles that manage to be experimental and not look like what you could consider to be a “classic” example of “good art.” Yet to the trained eye clearly invokes all of the elements of “good art” and Tony Ross is a master of that! Plus the lighting in this is so good!
March 5, 2018
A classic tale with quirky illustrations. Very Quentin Blake.
It is a slightly different version to the one I know and I don't think this one really brought anything new to the table.
It is a slightly different version to the one I know and I don't think this one really brought anything new to the table.
September 12, 2012
Classic story, this time the bears might be Polar Bears, since they are white. The illustrations are interesting...I'm still not sure how I feel about the style. I really like that this Goldilocks is more modern, wearing jeans & sneakers instead of the traditional little girl in a dress. What girl is romping around in the woods in a dress anyway? ;)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews