GOLDILOCKS

It’s a golden year when two equally artistically rendered versions of this classic story are published. This Goldilocks loves to pick blueberries and one morning finds herself in front of a strange cottage. When no one answers she walks in, eats all the porridge, sits in the chairs and climbs into bed where the three bears find her. Instead of running away, though, Mama Bear has Goldilocks make the beds and weave new chair seats. Instead of making more porridge, Goldilocks offers her basket of blueberries for Mama Bear to make muffins (the recipe is included). Contrasting this against Gennady Spirin’s Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2009), both are realistically detailed. Spirin’s bears are elegantly dressed in Renaissance finery, set against white backgrounds with ornate decorations; Sanderson’s pencil-and-oils paintings are more folksy, with characters in Tyrolean garb, rustic furniture and fully furnished backgrounds, pussy willows in a jug and pinecone-decorated china. The good news is there’s no need to choose; buy both and feature them on holiday gift lists. (Picture book/folktale. 4-7)