Review by Booklist Review
Retelling the familiar nursery tale, Spirin retains its brevity and much of its charm. The artwork dresses the characters in elaborate Renaissance costumes and occasionally places them before fully painted backdrops, but usually shows them and a few props (bowls, chairs, beds) as cut-outs against clean, white backgrounds. Since the style of Spirin's watercolor and colored pencil artwork is relatively sophisticated and richly detailed, this technique makes the pictures clearer and more accessible to young children. The bears have great physical presence and unlike those in most dressed animal tales, here they seem quite wild- inhuman and untamed- for all their elegant trappings. Goldilocks is a pretty blonde charmer with an occasional frozen, toothy smile reminiscent of a first grader facing the lens on school picture day. An appended note provides a brief history of the story, noting changes in several versions from 1831 to 1904. While many fine editions are available today, this nicely designed book would be a handsome addition to larger collections.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In his adaptation of the Goldilocks story, Spirin's (The Lord Is My Shepherd) lush colored pencil and watercolor spreads are as elaborate as the text is simple. Against white backdrops, Goldilocks and the bears are drawn in great realistic detail, along with judicious use of ornate setting details and delicate page ornamentation. These bears have fierce claws and teeth, but their apparel is nothing short of royal, dotted with jewels and pearls, and trimmed with feathers and gold. The text, conversely, is completely free of metaphors or complex sentences, the story stripped to its tag-line essence: "Who's been sitting in my chair?" asks each bear parent as Little Bear laments, "My chair's broken!" The suspenseful scene as the bears find Goldilocks asleep in Little Bear's well-appointed bed is followed by an abrupt illustration in which Goldilocks runs away, looking more gleeful than terrified, as each of the bears says, "Bye," and the narrator informs the reader, "And that's the end of the story!" Goldilocks' face doesn't always transmit her emotions clearly, but overall this is an enchanting-visually, at least-version. Ages 3-7. (Mar.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Spirin's version of this classic pairs a simple, straightforward retelling with lush Renaissance costumes and elegant page designs. The bears, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, are solid, realistic creatures, revealing sharp teeth and claws. Papa and Mama Bear, generally appearing together in their fur-trimmed garments, dominate their vertical space-in contrast to their diminutive son. The setting is created with richly realized essentials: solid porridge bowls, carved chairs, ornate beds, a massive stucco and wood-trimmed dwelling. Expansive white space surrounds the characters on most spreads, with embellished lines creating decorative, horizontal borders on selected pages. The creatures seem to regard their intruder more as a curiosity than a criminal; as the golden-haired child runs away down the path, they simply wave and call out their farewells. A source note concludes the text. The Goldilocks shelf is crowded; readers can turn to James Marshall for humor, Jan Brett for details, Valeri Gorbachev for whimsy, and Jim Aylesworth for Victorian, to name but a few. This newcomer will be embraced for its visual clarity and sumptuous style at storytimes and bedtimes alike.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Spirin reimagines "Goldilocks" in a Renaissance setting. The spare, familiar text ("Who's been eating my porridge?...Who's been sitting in my chair?") balances the sumptuous watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations' textural detailing, a decorative style in which Spirin excels. An appended "Note About the Story" tells more about the folktale's origins. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
