Goatilocks and the Three Bears

by Erica S. Perl, Erica S. Perl

Goatilocks gobbles more than porridge in this fractured fairy tale that puts a hilarious twist on a favorite story.Once upon a time, there was a kid named Goatilocks.She lived down the road from a family of bears... Goatilocks can’t resist sampling first Papa Bear’s porridge, then Mama Bear’s porridge, then Baby Bear’s porridge—and his bowl and spoon, too. And it turns out Goatilocks has a taste for chairs and beds as well. Has Goatilocks devoured her way to disaster? What will happen when the Bear family returns home from their walk? This playful adaptation of a favorite fairy tale is full of tummy-rumbling fun.

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

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Erica S. Perl is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 40 popular and critically acclaimed books for young readers. She won the National Jewish Book Award and a Sydney Taylor Silver Medal for her middle grade novel, ALL THREE STOOGES. She is also the author of many well-loved picture books, including THE NINTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH and GOATILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS, as well as several book serieses (including the TRUTH OR LIE nonfiction series). She is the co-author, with Dolly Parton, of the BILLY THE KID picture book series. She is also the co-author, with R.J. Palacio, of WHITE BIRD: A NOVEL. A crowd-pleasing presenter, Erica is available for school visits, bookstore, and library events. Follow her @ericaperl on social media and visit her website to connect with her.

Reviews

[Erica Perl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book!
Yours truly,
Goati

[Melissa Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse says he would have preferred if the bears had found Goatilocks and then...ate her. Because that's more realistic he says.

I laughed out loud every time she ate something though.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorvite version of Goldilocks.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too funny, a unique spin on the classic Goldilocks... except, the goat eats what he chooses!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how the goat eats everything. Funny twist on a classic story with cute illustrations.

[Kayla Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable spin on the original - one I enjoyed. Funny and cute with beautifully done illustrations, this one will have the kids giggling!

[Mary Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
This book begins with our main character, Goatilocks, sneaking in to the home of her neighbors. Her neighbors were three bears. Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear. Goatilocks tried all of their porridge, and ate ALL of Baby Bear's. She then tried all of their chairs, and ended up liking Baby Bear's chair, so she ate it. She then tried all of their beds, finally deciding to eat Baby Bear's bed. When the bears came home they of course noticed the chaos. They found Goatilocks who saw them and ran back to her house. The next morning she felt bad and wanted to make up for her mishap. She picked some flowers to deliver to the bears. The bear family thought they were just right, so they ate them.
Review:
This is a great "spin off" to the original Goldilocks and the three bears story. The author did a great job changing things up just enough that it was comical. The fact that the main character was a goat that ate everything was just perfect for the storyline. The illustrations were silly and colorful and I could see children really enjoying them.
Teaching Application:
I would use this book in my classroom for a comparing and contrasting lesson. I would have my students read the original story of Goldilocks and the three bears and then have them read this story about Goatilocks. I would have them discuss, and then write papers on the similarities and differences of these two pieces. I believe this would be an amazing way to get students to grasp this concept.

[Abby Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a unique twist on such a well-known tale! It also has a great sense of humor that even got me laughing! This will surely be liked by a group of young students! The watercolor illustrations are bright and colorful, which gives the story a lighthearted tone. The pictures are full of details which significantly enhances the text. While it did have a different ending than the classic story, I was not completely satisfied with the ending. However, Perl prolonged the ending and the last and there was a much stronger final resolution. There is a decent amount of words on each page so I would not feel comfortable using this as an independent read until second or third grade. However, I already plan on using it to teach compare and contrast! We will read this story as a read aloud and then compare the similarities and difference to that of the original story! While the storyline is the same, there are distinct differences that children will be able to explore when reading this text. Since there is a significant amount of dialogue, this story is perfect for a read aloud as well as dramatic retells! This is a very purposeful text to include in your classroom and will be enjoyed by many of your students!

[Leah Hahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goatilocks and the Three Bears is a play on Goldey Locks and the Three Bears.
Goatilocks is a goat that lives down the road from a family of bears. One day she notices that her neighbors had left for the day and decided to go inside their house. She tries the porridge of all three bears and the one that was just right, she ate! And when I say she ate it, I mean she ate everything, the porridge, the bowl, and the spoon! She did the same thing with the chairs. Tried them all for size, and then ate the chair that was just right! Goatilocks is a very mischievous goat and goes through the bears house just trying things out and gobbling them up.
I thought this book was funny, and would recommend it for young children.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't typically review picture books, but we checked this one out of the library and Isaac has gotten quite a kick out of it. it's a pretty clever and funny retelling of goldilocks and the three bears, and the unexpected plot twists had Isaac laughing out loud.

also, I have to say -- this book has the perfect number of words per page. hahaha. my biggest pet peeve with children's books is when they have a ridiculous amount of text on each page. I'm sorry, but no child I've ever read to has had the patience to sit and stare at the same picture for like 5 minutes while I read whole paragraphs before we can turn the page.

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently we've read the original and then another variation (Somebody and the Three Blairs. My 4s and 5s got a kick out of this one. The story was fun and it was easy to talk about the differences from the original. I was surprised that more of them weren't able to see a pattern and predict, but that's okay. The facial expressions on the animals are a hoot, and our favorite part was the bears' laundry hanging on the line on the first page. It certainly made us giggle!

[Stephen Cravak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beach Lane's editor Allyn Johnston has a knack for publishing soft yet giggle inducing stories. Goatilocks stays true to the classic plot structure and while formulaic, author Erica Perl sneaks in inventive twists with her voracious protagonist, and the addition of "meta" lines kept the otherwise simple diction fresh and witty. Illustrator Athur Howard's playfully bright pictures harken back to '80s and '90s rendering this a fittingly fun read for adults who may tire of over-the-top modern illustrations and appropriate for a Pre-K audience.

[Alaina]

Goatilocks and the Three Bears is the twist of to the fairytale of goldilocks and the three bears. I really like this folklore tale because it has funny/humorous writing and a good moral to the story which is to not take, eat or use other objects. My honest review for this book is very good and I think would keep students entertained as they read it or are being read this book.

[Hera Sundstrom]

This is another cute spin off on the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and made me giggle. The goat eating all of the chairs and tables was something I did not expect. It does still get the message across that you have to think about your actions and how it might affect others.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute and fun spin off of the three little pigs that would be fun to follow up the book with. I think students would really like this book and is a fun way to relate to the 3 little pigs in a different and fun way.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was adorable and hilarious. The fact that the goat ate EVERYTHING made the students I read it to laugh a ton. I also liked the twist that Goatilocks felt bad for doing it and took a gift to the bears to apologize. It is a super fun read.

[AMY · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was a story about a goat who visits the three bears' house. It was predictable and boring at the end. This one was not too good. Not recommended.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun retelling of a favorite tale.

[Mariarosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

My three-year-old sister did not feel that the traumatized baby bear was properly compensated for damages done... :)

[Yamile Méndez · Rating 4 out of 5]

So funny! A great twist on a classic story.

[Roseanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute & sweet retelling of Goldilocks--- and appropriate goatish behavior!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creative, but the ending is a bit lackluster.

[Pamela Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this variation of Goldilocks, the title character is a goat which leads to some unexpected actions. Very cute and keeps the theme, but young students especially will love this one.

[Maggie]

A fun twist on a classic. It will have your kids rolling on the ground with laughter.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clever and cute! Love the illustrations!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made us laugh!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny retelling with an original twist.

[Skyla Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute spin off book. She ate all the baby bears things rather than use them. They all made up in the end and had a nice time together after she apologized.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A laugh outloud retelling of Goldilocks.

[Viviane Elbee]

This is a fractured fairy tale - instead of Goldilocks and the three bears, it's Goatilocks and the three bears. And Goatilocks is so hungry, she eats everything!