From the Publisher
In this spirited new version of a classic fairy tale, we meet a determined heroine with a mind of her own. Can she help it if everyone she invites over is too bossy or too boring or too snobby or too rough? What Goldie desperately wants is a friend she can love with all her heart. And one day, she finds one who's just right.
Publishers Weekly
"In Stanley's witty retelling, she characterizes Goldilocks as a wide-eyed, golden-haired heroine who knows exactly what she likes," wrote PW. Ages 5-8. (Jan.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
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Children's Literature
Here is a new Goldie who knows exactly what she likes and what she doesn't in life, which makes some things difficult for her. But when she loves something, it is "with all her heart." Her parents worry because she is happy without friends to play with. But Goldie only wants someone she can love "with all her heart." One day she gets off the bus at the wrong stop and arrives at a house where she has a rather familiar set of experiences finding a sandwich, a chair, and a bed that is "just right." The arrival of three bears, however, makes for a very different, happy ending. For Baby Bear turns out to be the friend Goldie is seeking who is "just right." Goldie is an appealing, curly-headed heroine painted in detailed settings appropriate to the story. Sequential vignettes of action are mixed with larger scenes of her sometimes humorous adventures. The teddy bears on the end papers, obviously something she loves, are like the one that accompanies her everywhere and is perhaps symbolic of the friend Goldie finds at last. 2003, HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 5 to 8.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1-One of Goldilocks's qualities-her desire to have things "just right"-is extended into a charming story. "It was hard work finding the perfect hat, a really comfortable sweater, or shoes that didn't pinch her toes. But it was worth the effort, because when Goldie loved something, she loved it with all her heart." What's missing in her life is just the right friend. One day, she gets off the bus at the wrong stop and wanders into a little brick house at the end of a winding path. What she finds there will bring a smile to every child who is looking for a friend who's "not too bossy," "Not too boring," and "Not too snobby or silly or rough." The writing is smooth, concise, and rhythmic. The author's voice peeks through now and then, adding an understated humor that kids will love. "When she had finished the book, Goldie peeked into the next room. It will not surprise you to learn that she found three beds in there." And the pictures are marvelous, with fine lines; soft, glowing colors; and winsome, telling details. Many contemporary retellings of familiar fairy tales are successful in a clever way, but this goes beyond clever to also have real substance. A 24-carat selection for many children, especially those who like things just so.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Stanley reinvents another familiar tale, this one in a modern setting. Goldie's finicky about her food, clothes, and friends, but when she finds something just right, she loves it "with all her heart." One day she steps off the school bus at the wrong stop, and, looking for a place to call her mom, finds an invitingly empty house. Confident but not spoiled-looking beneath her great mane of curly hair, Goldie comes off as a child with a natural streak of curiosity. While waiting for the house's residents to show up, she samples the sandwiches on the kitchen table, finds a chair in which to snuggle down with a favorite book, and then checks out the bedroom. A family of bears in dowdy-looking clothing appears-but when the furious baby bear tries to bounce Goldie out of bed, the two discover the pleasures of bed-bouncing, and instantly hit it off. "She's just right!" Goldie happily proclaims to her mother on the later drive home. So is the tone of this imaginative update. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
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