Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

By Mo Willems.  New York: Balzer + Bray, 2012.

"Once upon a time, there were three Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur, and some other Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway."

I know what you're thinking: wait a minute, I know this story!  But I don't remember any dinosaurs.  That's because this delightful picture book take a different approach to a classic fairy tale.  One day, these dinosaurs decide to make their beds, arrange their chairs, and cook three bowls of delicious chocolate pudding, for no particular reason.  Then, they decide to leave and go "someplace else" and while they are gone, they really hope no innocent child stops by their unlocked home while they are gone.  Wink, wink.  If you know the story, of course a little girl named Goldilocks happens upon the house of the dinosaurs.  She eats the chocolate pudding, and then tired and full, decides to take a nap.  But the chairs are too big, and so are the beds.  She exclaims "the bears that live here must be nuts!"  Then, she takes a closer look at her surroundings and realizes this isn't some bear's house, it's some dinosaur's house, and high tails it out of the back door just as the dinosaurs barge through the front door.  No yummy, chocolate filled little girl for the dinosaurs.  And the story ends with a moral: "if you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave."  As for the dinosaurs, the moral is "lock the back door!"

I am a huge fan of Mo Willems, and enjoy sharing his books at storytime.  This is another gem.  The illustrations are fantastic.  My favorite is the Norwegian dinosaur maniacally laughing.  Have your kids take a close look and they will see one of his famous characters in the pages.  But the real winner is the storyline.  I was laughing so much, which is a true sign of an awesome picture book, in my humble opinion.  Hey, if the adults love it, it makes sharing it all the better.  And if you're looking for ideas to use with the book, check out HarperCollins website for downloadable activities.  We just got this at our library, so check it out!