Product Description

These three billy goats have trip-trapped into the hearts of children for years. This lively retelling of a much-loved fable will have children cheering on the sprightly billy goats who refuse to be intimidated by a big, hairy and very hungry troll.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #497503 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Rounds's pedestrian retelling of the familiar Norwegian folk tale about the billy goats who trick a mean troll lacks the verve and vitality that has made the story a favorite of kids around the world. Reminiscent of children's crayon drawings, the illustrations--set against ample white backgrounds--feature a yellow sun outlined with black rays that hangs in a blue pencilled sky, and a scraggly hillside where "the grass is so tall and green and tender." The eponymous animals, however, seem neither brave nor clever, and the troll hardly surly enough to make the story work. There is almost no character differentiation between the smallest goat, who goes trip-trapping across the troll's bridge and the biggest Billy Goat Gruff, who butts the troll from the bridge. Nor do the frequent use of exclamation points, changes in font size and capital letters compensate for the lack of either storytelling voice or drama in the straightforward text. This tale is better served by previously published renderings, such as the standard Paul Galdone version. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3. Through bold strokes and fine lines, Rounds creates three goats to be reckoned with and a troll who exudes nastiness. A bare-bones retelling of an old tale that will never be "told out."
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 3-6. Set in a "lovely green valley nestled high in the [Rocky] mountains," this version of a familar story has a decidedly American locale and includes some nice touches--from the troll's "growly, scowly voice" to the "extremely deep, and extremely cold river, where the troll sank like a stone and was never heard from again." The watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations are clear and distinct enough to make the book useful for reading aloud to small groups, and the slightly subdued palette emphasizes the verdant green of the grassy pastures, which are, after all, the heart of the tale. This should be a popular retelling, even in libraries already having several different versions on the shelf. Janice Del Negro

Customer Reviews

When My mother Read it to us
I chose The Threee Billy Goats Gruff by Stephen Carpenter because it was my Mom's favorite story book growing up. The day I brought it home she sat down and read it to me and my sister. My favorite characters are the three billy goats because there funny and can play tricks on the troll. The troll was foolish to let the small and middle size billy goats go across the bridge, and then have to fight with the big billy goat. He ended up falling off the bridge and all three billy goats enjoyed the grass on the other side of the bridge. Now they will be able to come and go whenever they want. There is a lesson to be learned in this book. Don't let someone influence you by saying that something is bigger and better if you wait for awhile. Overall the book is alot of fun to read. I would definitely share this story with my children.

The Stephen Carpenter version is outstanding for little ones
Many of the reviews listed here are for other versions of this story. I have checked out all seven versions of Three Billy Goats Grufff available from our library just to see which was best for a three year old. This one by Stephen Carpenter has large, clever, uncluttered pictures and tells the story in simple language. The troll is not too scary and, all in all, this one seems just right for little ones. Another version, the elaborately illustrated one by Janet Stevens, uses a colorful, imaginative vocabulary and would have more appeal to adults and older children (5 or 6 and up?).

A great bed time book.
Our little grandson (3) loves this book. We could read it to him multiple times per day. His other grandmother, said it was her favorite book when she was little. A must buy!