These four books (more to come) appear in a uniform paper-over-board edition. Galdone was a refreshingly modest illustrator: his retellings are straightforward and his unassumingly loose-lined, color-separated pictures provide just enough embellishment, as when the lazy cat in The Little Red Hen lolls on the couch, dreaming of sardines. Plenty of white space gives the stories all the room they need. [Review covers these titles: The Little Red Hen, The Three Bears, Three Little Kittens, and The Three Little Pigs.] (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Captivating pictures, including a particularly effective portrayal of bears with very human qualities, make Cauley's rendition an especially rich version of the story. Brett's Scandinavian costumes, intriguing borders, and texture-rich pictures offer stiff competition, while Stevens' entertaining Goldilocks and the Three Bears is cast in a highly pleasing but slightly lighter vein. Her illustrations, though cozily detailed, are not as intense and her Goldilocks not so fiercely naughty. Galdone's The Three Bears offers roly-poly, benign-looking bruins who are definite victims of Goldilocks' excesses. As usual, this artist's pictures display a dramatic flair that will appeal to the younger end of the story's audience. Turkle offers an amusing reverse version of the story. Presented in a wordless format, this tale tells the story of a mischievous little bear who enters a human frontier family's woodland cabin to eat porridge, break the littlest chair, wreak havoc in the bedroom, and scamper away when a golden-haired girl and her parents return.

PreS-Gr 1-In this version of Paul Galdone's retelling of the classic tale (HM, 1972), the female narrator's voice is pleasant and expressive, with different inflections for the wee bear, the middle-sized bear, and the great big bear. The tape has audible page turning signals of a bear yawning or humming on one side, and no page turning signals on the other side. A light musical background accompanies the narration. This book and cassette package will be useful in day care centers, public libraries, and primary school libraries.-Diane Balodis, Alden Intermediate School, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.