Rating: 3.5 stars
There are some books that seem to just check a block. Take Goldilocks. I had to run a Google search (to avoid any critical thought) to find out exactly why this tale has lasted so long, and why I feel compelled to make sure Lorelei knows the story before school. Google never lets me down.
Here's the deal: In the mid-19th century, the story was of three bears and an old lady who trespassed on their property. It was a "fearsome oral tale" which probably wouldn't be appropriate for our toddlers today who are, thankfully, sheltered from gruesome anything (except when they walk in the room when my husband is watching Ultimate Fighter). Within a few decades the old lady morphed into a beautiful young girl and three bears turned into mostly kind animals rather than scary beasts. I guess one of the lessons to draw from "one of the most popular tales in English literature" isn't included in Jan Brett's version: after the wee, little bear wakes up Goldilocks and she runs away into the forest, she vows to be a good little girl forever after.
Shoot. Now Lorelei won't realize that she's supposed to be a good little girl forever after. I have failed!Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of the story, but Jan Brett is one talented artist. I actually think all of her books are flawed, some more than others, but they are worth reading because of the beautiful pictures. She always draws borders around his pages, and the borders are filled with loads of little tidbits to uncover, clues as to what is on the next page, and just details upon details. The pages of this book are just a testing ground for Lorelei and Ben's observation skills. And they fare pretty well!
If you're interested, Jan Brett has heaps of neat (and free) activities and coloring pages on her website.
Oh! We have a Jan Brett version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with Polar Bears! It is awesome! You'll have to borrow it.
ReplyDelete