The Three Billy Goats Gruff

July 15, 2022
Fairy-tale fun for everyone. (Except trolls.) Barnett and Klassen partner for a retelling of the classic folktale about a trio of variously sized goats (all named Gruff) and a troll whose greed ultimately leads to his downfall. The story has been told many times, but in this variation, Barnett shows off for his audience by giving the troll a substantial amount of dialogue, most of which rhymes: "I love goat! Let me count the ways. / Goat rump in a honey glaze. / Goat smoked, goat poached, a goat pot roast. / Goat smorgasbord! Goat smeared on toast! / A goat kale salad--hold the kale. / Goat escargot! (That's goat plus snails.) / On goat I'll dine, on goat I'll sup. / You little goat, I'll eat you up!" It's amusing verbal play, and librarians and caregivers who love to read out loud will enjoy hamming it up, although it may lessen the scary impact of the character. Likewise, the artwork, created in ink, watercolor, and graphite and compiled digitally, is pure Klassen, and the brown, green, and blue tones combine into an earthy setting where the ratlike troll (sans tail) fits in perfectly. But the visual reveal of the third billy goat takes a bit of oomph out of the story, as readers will be able to anticipate that this troll won't be having goat strudel anytime soon. Fans of either Barnett or Klassen will love this retelling, but librarians won't be sending their Paul Galdone or Jerry Pinkney retellings out to pasture just yet. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Pleasant but slightly pedestrian. (Folktale. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from August 8, 2022
It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate pair of picture book rascals to remix this famous fairy tale, a series-starting retelling, than collaborators Barnett and Klassen (The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse). Working in his customary earthen tones, Klassen gives the troll a round schnozz and pointy fangs; his under-the-bridge hideout sports a skull-and-bone mobile. Gleeful grossness abounds as the troll awaits a would-be feast (“All he’d eaten lately was... some goop he’d found in his belly button”), but when the first two ungulate siblings trod the bridge, the troll’s elaborate rhyming lines reveal unexpected gastronomic sophistication (“A goat flambé with candied yams./ A goat clambake, with goat, not clams!”). Narrow ribbons of images rise as the pages turn, creating a tidal effect that crowds the text close to the top of later spreads. Meanwhile, the goats’ ruse goes just as tradition dictates: the troll falls for each sibling’s offer of a larger, tastier brother, building to a turn of gargantuan proportions and a multi-spread, slapstick finale that’s guaranteed to elicit raucous fun and repeat performances: “Who seeks to reach the grassy ridge?/ Who dares to walk across my bridge?” Ages 4–8.

Starred review from January 1, 2023
Frequent collaborators Barnett and Klassen serve up a delectable rendition of the oft-retold folktale. The bare-bones narrative "clip clops" along with abundant humor and plenty of verbal delights, repetition, and rhyme ("Who seeks to reach the grassy ridge? / Who dares to walk across my bridge?") as the brash, blustery bully of a troll gleefully lists all the ways he loves to eat goat. Droll, digitally compiled illustrations created with ink, watercolor, and graphite capture a proscenium view of the action above and below the bridge and depict a large, rodent-like troll who dwells in the muck of a bone-strewn riverbank. How the menacing meat-eater gets his comeuppance and the clever brothers go on to enjoy grassy glory on the other side of the bridge are the stuff of legend, and here they're given a playful twist by these masters of the deadpan. The tale wraps up with the troll floating down the river and around a bend. "Where he ended up I really can't say. I've never gone that far. There are too many mosquitoes." Sure to be a read-aloud favorite, this engaging interpretation will sit comfortably next to classic versions by Marcia Brown, Glen Rounds, Paul Galdone, and Jerry Pinkney. Luann Toth

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from September 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* There he sits, beneath the bridge, his potatolike physique sprouting warts and sparse, wiry hairs. The troll! Times on Troll's bridge have been slow in the snack department, so when he hears the clip-clop of goat's hooves above him, he scurries out, fork at the ready and a demand of who dares cross the bridge upon his lips. "'It's only me, ' said the goat. 'A billy goat. My last name's Gruff.'" Readers may think they know this classic tale, but Barnett and Klassen truly make it their own. Yes, all the major plot points are there, but the magic's in the details and humorous tone. It's hard not to feel a twinge of sympathy for the oafish troll, who has been living off earwax and belly-button lint, when he bursts into a gleeful litany of tasty goat-based dishes: "Goat smoked, goat poached, a goat pot roast. / Goat smorgasbord! Goat smeared on toast!" Ultimately, though, readers will remain #TeamGruff and cheer the clever trickery the goats use to safely cross the bridge. Klassen is in top form as he depicts the goings-on and amplifies the drama in his signature earth-toned style and creative use of white space. This inaugural offering in Scholastic's new fairy-tale series, which will feature different picture-book creators, sets the bar high and will be a favorite read-aloud among kids.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Picture-book superstars Barnett and Klassen are known for their stellar collaborations, and their many fans will be waiting to snap this up.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023
Frequent collaborators Barnett and Klassen serve up a delectable rendition of the oft-retold folktale. The bare-bones narrative "clip clops" along with abundant humor and plenty of verbal delights, repetition, and rhyme ("Who seeks to reach the grassy ridge? / Who dares to walk across my bridge?") as the brash, blustery bully of a troll gleefully lists all the ways he loves to eat goat. Droll digitally compiled illustrations created with ink, watercolor, and graphite capture a proscenium view of the action above and below the bridge and depict a large, rodent-like troll who dwells in the muck of a bone-strewn riverbank. How the menacing meat-eater gets his comeuppance and the clever brothers go on to enjoy grassy glory on the other side of the bridge are the stuff of legend, and here they're given a playful twist by these masters of the deadpan. The tale wraps up with the troll floating down the river and around a bend. "Where he ended up I really can't say. I've never gone that far. There are too many mosquitoes." Sure to be a read-aloud favorite, this engaging interpretation will sit comfortably next to classic versions by Marcia Brown, Glen Rounds, Paul Galdone, and Jerry Pinkney.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)