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Goldilocks and the Three Bears: A Tale Moderne
When she discovers the three bears’ house in the woods, Goldilocks ventures in and makes herself at home. According to tradition, she sits in the chairs, samples the meal laid on the table, and takes a nap. Yet something is different in this retelling of the classic story of the girl with golden locks. Though our heroine is the same, our bears certainly are not. These bears are hip; they have a sense of style and a love of design. Their split-level home is filled with furnishings created by an international crowd of celebrated designers, from Alvar Aalto to Charles and Ray Eames to Isamu Noguchi. Children will delight in this long-beloved story given new life by Steven Guarnaccia’s stylized artwork—and may even pick up a design tip or two.
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32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2000
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60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 3, 2014
Now, to be honest, my first exposure to Steven Guarnaccia’s artwork was through Rabbit Ears Productions’ version of Anansi, which was narrated by none other than DENZEL WASHINGTON! So, when I found out that Steven Guarnaccia had written and illustrated a more modern version of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” I just had to give this book a shot!
Basically, this book is a retelling of the popular fairy tale story “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” where the story starts off with the three bears going out for a walk in order for their bowls of chili to cool off. Later on, a little girl named Goldilocks stumbles upon their house and starts ruining the three bears’ furniture and food when she tried to get herself comfortable in the house. This is a more modern day take on the classic story as the artwork is inspired by the modernism movement in its art style.
Steven Guarnaccia’s artwork was probably the best part of this story, as they brilliantly complement the contemporary style for the popular fairy tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” I loved the way that in the inside covers; we actually see what the names of the furniture being shown in this book are, such as a sofa called the “Alessandro Becchi,” which is a 1971 Italian “Anfibio” sofa and a chair called the 1955 “Series 7.” The names of the furniture actually gives the book an extremely authentic and creative flair as each furniture have unique names that really made them stand out in the entire book. Steven Guarnaccia had also done a brilliant job at detailing the characters in this book, especially of the three bears themselves. I loved the way that each of the three bears have their own unique styles regarding their clothing; such as the Papa Bear wearing a purple and golden checkerboard shirt and a pair of shades; the Mama Bear wearing a pink bandana on her head along with beige colored pants and a shirt that seems like something that came out of an abstract art; and the Baby Bear wearing a raccoon hat along with a blue and white striped T-shirt. I also loved the illustrations of Goldilocks herself as she is seen with her hair pulled into a ponytail and she wears a shirt that is green with black stars and red pants that comes along with the black shoes.
The reason why I gave this book a four star rating was because I felt that this book could have been much more creative with the concept of having a more modernized version of the classic fairy tale. I was actually wishing that the three bears were in a jazz band or something like that because it would have fit nicely with the modernized artwork of the classic story, especially with the Papa Bear looking like he would enjoy playing a saxophone in a jazz band. I also would have liked it more if this book actually provided a back story of sorts for Goldilocks since that would have fleshed out her character further besides just being a little girl who just happens to stumble upon a house full of bears. I would have liked it if this version of Goldilocks was known to be a bad child (just like in both the Rabbit Ears version and James Marshall’s version of the classic tale) and had to learn her lesson about breaking into other people’s homes without permission the hard way.
Overall, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” is a truly creative book that takes a more modern day spin on the famous classic fairy tale and children who love modernized takes on classic fairy tales will definitely enjoy this book! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the modernized style of the artwork might be too complex for some children
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
May 24, 2020
Originally published at Mr. Alex's Bookshelf: https://mralexbookshelf.com/2020/05/0...
This is not the Goldilock’s book that was read to you when you were a child, but it is the Goldilock’s story. What sets this book apart from the rest, is that these bears are hip; and, they live in a “split-level house deep in the forest.” House furnishings include: Isamu Noguchi American Chess Table (1947), Series 7 Chair (1955), Terence Conran British “Chequers” Fabric (1951), and a Charles Rennie Mackintosh Scottish Ladderback Chair (1902), among others. Think jazz baby, and modern design.
Quick Rating: Buy & Keep
Summary
This is our traditional Goldilocks, except she’s sampling chili rather than porridge and she’s traipsing around a house that is not your typical fairy tale surrounding. The bears are ultra-cool and suave, a bit reminiscent of the Beat Poets that came to prominence in the 1940’s and 1950s.
Standard plotline: Goldilocks samples bears’ food and furniture; bears surprise Goldilocks; Goldilocks leaves running. The end.
Illustrations
Illustrator, designer and Associate Professor of Illustration at the Parsons School of Design, Guanaccia can evoke modern design and weave it seamlessly into this story. His illustrations are, in a word, gorgeous. It’s no wonder he has held jobs ranging from muralist for Disney Cruise Lines to Art Director of the Op-Ed Page of the New York Times. In, Goldilocks, the art is not only beautiful, but it deftly conveys the feeling and time period he has set for Goldilocks and her suave, hip bears. His renderings of modern era furniture are squarely on point; and, interestingly do not detract from the story, rather give it depth. Each piece is chosen to be, or not to be, just right.
For the uninitiated in modern decor, the end papers provide a reference for each piece of furniture and accessory rendered in the book. Priceless!
It's On My Bookshelf
This books fits squarely within the three-five-year-old demographic. But, it does one better. When you are done reading it with your child over and over (the Goldilocks story being a perennial favorite), it retains its value as a wonderful coffee-table book and a great conversation piece. For that reason alone, you should add it to your collection.
Seriously though, as I often tell parents, parenting is not about us. It’s about the child. And, what this book does a great job of doing is telling a familiar story, in a unique, artistic, way. As your child gets older, those “art” pieces, beautifully illustrated throughout the book, can be highlighted. You can have discussions about how some of them are in museums–how they used to exist in people’s living rooms. The book does a great job of capturing a snapshot of the past, and encapsulating it in a timeless fairy tale. And that’s, why this book is on my bookshelf. [End.]
This is not the Goldilock’s book that was read to you when you were a child, but it is the Goldilock’s story. What sets this book apart from the rest, is that these bears are hip; and, they live in a “split-level house deep in the forest.” House furnishings include: Isamu Noguchi American Chess Table (1947), Series 7 Chair (1955), Terence Conran British “Chequers” Fabric (1951), and a Charles Rennie Mackintosh Scottish Ladderback Chair (1902), among others. Think jazz baby, and modern design.
Quick Rating: Buy & Keep
Summary
This is our traditional Goldilocks, except she’s sampling chili rather than porridge and she’s traipsing around a house that is not your typical fairy tale surrounding. The bears are ultra-cool and suave, a bit reminiscent of the Beat Poets that came to prominence in the 1940’s and 1950s.
Standard plotline: Goldilocks samples bears’ food and furniture; bears surprise Goldilocks; Goldilocks leaves running. The end.
Illustrations
Illustrator, designer and Associate Professor of Illustration at the Parsons School of Design, Guanaccia can evoke modern design and weave it seamlessly into this story. His illustrations are, in a word, gorgeous. It’s no wonder he has held jobs ranging from muralist for Disney Cruise Lines to Art Director of the Op-Ed Page of the New York Times. In, Goldilocks, the art is not only beautiful, but it deftly conveys the feeling and time period he has set for Goldilocks and her suave, hip bears. His renderings of modern era furniture are squarely on point; and, interestingly do not detract from the story, rather give it depth. Each piece is chosen to be, or not to be, just right.
For the uninitiated in modern decor, the end papers provide a reference for each piece of furniture and accessory rendered in the book. Priceless!
It's On My Bookshelf
This books fits squarely within the three-five-year-old demographic. But, it does one better. When you are done reading it with your child over and over (the Goldilocks story being a perennial favorite), it retains its value as a wonderful coffee-table book and a great conversation piece. For that reason alone, you should add it to your collection.
Seriously though, as I often tell parents, parenting is not about us. It’s about the child. And, what this book does a great job of doing is telling a familiar story, in a unique, artistic, way. As your child gets older, those “art” pieces, beautifully illustrated throughout the book, can be highlighted. You can have discussions about how some of them are in museums–how they used to exist in people’s living rooms. The book does a great job of capturing a snapshot of the past, and encapsulating it in a timeless fairy tale. And that’s, why this book is on my bookshelf. [End.]
April 2, 2021
A version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" retold and illustrated by Steven Guarnaccia with a modern twist. The bears eat chili instead of porridge and they live in a slit-level house filled with furnishings by famous designers such as Isamu Noguchi and Alvar Aalto. I enjoyed this modern take on an old tale and could be fun to use in teaching about design.
November 11, 2019
This book has a cute little twist to the original tale. The bears eat chili instead of porridge, and they are, as you could guess from the title, much more modern. With many different varieties, I think it would be neat to see the differences that are a part of the same story.
February 27, 2018
The coolest version of the classic fairy tale. Love the modern illustrations!
March 15, 2020
Modern, be-bopping good book.
September 21, 2020
This modernized tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a fun twist on the original. It has funky illustrations and instead of porridge the bears make chili. The family of bears also lives in a split-level house in the woods. I think this would be a great book to read to tell the classic tale.
November 3, 2011
Text below are mainly based from the book's jacketflap.
When she discovers the three bears' house in the woods, Goldilocks ventures in and makes herself at home. According to the tradition, she sits in the chairs, samples the meal laid on the table, and takes a nap. Yet something is different in this retelling of the classic story of the girl with the golden locks: it introduced a different dimension to the visual narrative.
Though our heroine is the same, our bears certainly are not. These bears are hip: they have a sense of style and a love of design. Their split-level home is filled with furnishings created by an international crowd of celebrated designers, from Alvar Aalto to Charles and Ray Eames to Isamu Noguchi.
Children will delight in this long-beloved story given new life by Steven Guarnaccia's stylized artwork and may even pick up a design tip or two. For those who wish to delve into the names of the designers and their works reproduced here, Guarnaccia has kindly presented them on the endpapers.
Steven Guarnaccia is the chair of the illustration department at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City. He is the author of several books for children and adults, including The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
When she discovers the three bears' house in the woods, Goldilocks ventures in and makes herself at home. According to the tradition, she sits in the chairs, samples the meal laid on the table, and takes a nap. Yet something is different in this retelling of the classic story of the girl with the golden locks: it introduced a different dimension to the visual narrative.
Though our heroine is the same, our bears certainly are not. These bears are hip: they have a sense of style and a love of design. Their split-level home is filled with furnishings created by an international crowd of celebrated designers, from Alvar Aalto to Charles and Ray Eames to Isamu Noguchi.
Children will delight in this long-beloved story given new life by Steven Guarnaccia's stylized artwork and may even pick up a design tip or two. For those who wish to delve into the names of the designers and their works reproduced here, Guarnaccia has kindly presented them on the endpapers.
Steven Guarnaccia is the chair of the illustration department at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City. He is the author of several books for children and adults, including The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
Read
November 17, 2015The retells of the traditional story with a modern twist. Goldilocks stumbles upon the three bears house. She then go goes inside and makes herself at home.While in the house she sits in the chairs, tries their chili and lays in their bed.The bears ends up coming home finding Goldilocks in their and has use everything they owned. Goldilocks get ups and runs out the house.The images shows the bears are very hip and trendy.The images shows that the bears have a sense of style and a love of design. Their home is filled with cool furniture created celebrated designers, Charles and Ray Eames to Isamu Noguchi! The images and the text shows modern twist and update to date which children can relate to. They are able to see the similarities of the bears homes to theirs. The author used phrases like" pipping hot" " ramble in the woods" "rapped on the front door" which gives of the voice as being hip and cool. Overall the book is very well written and illustration is hip and retro chic.
August 16, 2012
I wasn't so crazy about this version of the classic tale. When I saw the book was dedicated to Joseph Eichler and Milton Miller, I figured I wouldn't be too crazy about this modern style, and I was right. I liked the illustrator's style, but the modern furniture details on the inside covers seemed odd for a children's picture book. Would they notice or even care? I'm not sure how a gun hanging from the frame of Little Bear's bed makes it modern. And lastly, even in a modern retelling Mama Bear is the one who does the cooking. sigh.
October 31, 2020
This book has an interesting looking cover, but I quickly became disenchanted with it when I realized it wasn't really a retelling; it's just a re-illustration of the story with modern art and hipster-looking bears. I think the story is appealing to kids no matter what, but the various pieces of designer furniture depicted and labeled on the end papers of the book didn't feel very child-friendly to me. The idea is clever, but not necessarily appropriate for the audience.
October 4, 2011
This is a very classic retelling of Goldilocks; really, only the language has been updated. The bears, however, live in a very tastefully decorated home. A close inspection of the endpapers reveals that the furniture and decorations are pieces of art. While I appreciate the modern spin on the bears' home, the story itself lacks an interesting update or spin. Skip this one for school collections, though your adult, art-loving friends may find it an interesting picture book.
October 13, 2011
Traditional Literature - 2010 The story itself stays true to form, however the illustrations bring a new twist to this traditional tail. Steven Guarnaccia includes aspects of design within his illustrations by various famous designers. I appreciated explanations at the beginning and the end of the book about what designs were created by whom.
July 27, 2014
This tells the traditional tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with some modern twists. You can almost hear the saxophone playing while you read this modern tale. The bears make chili instead of porridge and the ramble instead of walk. The modern illustrations are interesting and also enhance the story line.
August 22, 2010
The endpapers of this book display textiles and furniture created by modern designers. The entire concept for the book hinges on the artistic design of the three bears' home, which adds nothing to this classic fairy tale that young readers would appreciate.
April 11, 2013
This was a wonderful hip and up to date rendition of the Goldilocks and The Three Bears. The language was different by saying "ramble in the woods." The plot of the story was the same, but had a great new look. Loved it and so did the kids.
March 10, 2010
Traditional tale with interesting art. The best part for me was seeing a "Finlandia" vase by Alver Aalto in the bears house.
January 19, 2013
I liked Guarnaccia's moderne lingo. End pages a plus as well. Could use for word choice & audience with student.
February 6, 2016
I was interested in the illustrations and the use of furniture by various designers...for example...an Eames Chair was Little Bear's Chair.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews