★ 02/27/2017
In an artist’s note, Caldecott Medalist Pinkney (The Lion & the Mouse) says that he held back from retelling this famous folktale over the years because the traditional ending “confounded” him. This version and its new conclusion are worth the wait. Three skinny goats see a bridge between them and hills of lush grass. The hairy, green-skinned troll who guards the bridge has warthog tusks and long claws. The smallest goat approaches, the troll threatens, and the goat parries: “Oh, no, don’t eat me!... Wait until the next billy goat crosses. He’s much bigger than me!” Pinkney lingers over the goats’ clunky, curvy hooves and their skeptical expressions. Hand-lettered sound words such as the story’s familiar “trip, trap, trip, trap” amp up the visual energy; the troll’s hands claw through the panel borders. A magnificent gatefold captures the moment that the oldest, biggest billy goat smashes through the bridge gate. The troll is tossed into the water (“Bam! Splash! Gulp!”), where he gets a dose of his own medicine as an even-larger creature threatens him. It’s an ending so natural that readers may not realize it’s a new addition, and it creates a neat pivot that turns a story of revenge and comeuppance into one that dwells instead on empathy. Pinkney is generous with his gifts; his paintings are splendid, nuanced, and unfailingly entertaining. Ages 4–8. Agent: Sheldon Fogelman, Sheldon Fogelman Agency. (May)
Praise for The Three Billy Goats Gruff:
A Publishers Weekly Best Summer Book of 2017 and Best Book of 2017 Pick
A News & Observer Wilde Award Book of 2017
School Library Journal Best Picture Books of 2017
Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2017
*"Pinkney's vivid watercolors are full of texture, and large double-page spreads showcase the lush landscapes...[a] beautiful, exciting, and memorable retelling."—Booklist, starred review
*"Pinkney's graceful note invites readers to ponder issues of forgiveness, redemption, and peaceful coexistence in a terrific tale well-suited to family and group read-alouds."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*"Pinkney brings a thoughtful, nuanced perspective to this classic tale....[that] helps readers see that cleverness, community, and confrontation all have a time and place in dealing with a bully."—School Library Journal, starred review
*"This version and its new conclusion are worth the wait....Pinkney is generous with his gifts; his paintings are splendid, nuanced, and unfailingly entertaining."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
*"Gorgeously landscaped and entertaining...a sterling introduction to a classic for young kidsthe human kind."—BCCB, starred review
"Witty, dramatic, and delightful. ...[A] terrific variation on a classic."—The Washington Post
"Beautiful illustrations fill the pages with Pinkney's signature visual style in this conversation-sparking picture book."
—Brightly.com
"Perfectly paced words and pictures."—The News & Observer
"The celebrated illustrator Jerry Pinkney has satisfied a long-held desire with The Three Billy Goats Gruff."—Wall Street Journal
"Brilliant."—The Children's Book Review
"Lively watercolors dramatize this classic, giving a modern sensibility about standing up to bullies and working together."—The San Francisco Chronicle
"A gorgeous addition [to Jerry Pinkney's series of folktales and fables], filled with Pinkney's distinctive paintings that swirl with color."
—The Virginian-Pilot
"This is certain to become a beloved book."—The Free-Lance Star
Praise for The Grasshopper & The Ants: A Bank Street College Distinguished Children's Book
*"Full-page vivid watercolor paintings bustling with natural activity and fanciful detail flow through the hues of the seasons, ending in the spare whiteness of winter....A lively and engaging version of a favorite Aesop fable."—School Library Journal, starred review
*"Pinkney suggests that the world is better when everyone can follow his or her own gifts."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
*"From an unparalleled artist, another brilliant work."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Praise for The Tortoise & the Hare:
A 2014 ALSC Notable Children's Book
A 2013 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book
A 2013 Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book
A 2013 School Library Journal Best Children's Book
A 2013 Booklist Editors' Choice Book
A 2013 ABC Best Book for Children
A 2013 Parents' Choice Awards Gold Award Winner
A 2013 Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Multicultural Children's Book
An Autumn 2013 Kids' Indie Next List Pick
A 2014 Children's Book Committee of Bank Street College Outstanding Book
A 2014 Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison CCBC Choices Book
* "[There is] a note of homespun vibrancy to Pinkney's elegant watercolor paintings.... The tortoise may have won the race, but the real winner here is the listening and viewing audience."—Booklist, starred review
* "Pinkney's magnificently illustrated version of this famous fable gives the race the excitement of an Olympic event."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Will engross readers.... A captivating winnerstart to finish."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Pinkney has again created a tour de force."—Library Media Connection, starred review
* "The anthropomorphism blends seamlessly with the naturalistic detail.... A lively and imaginative take."—The Bulletin, starred review
* "Pinkney enriches this classic tale of friendship with another universal theme - family - affectingly illustrated in several scenes as well as in the back endpapers... African species grace splendid panoramas that balance the many finely detailed, closeup images of the protagonists. Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop's fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful... Unimpeachable."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Pinkney's luminous art, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, suggests a natural harmony... The ambiguity that results from the lack of words in this version allows for a slower, subtle, and ultimately more satisfying read. Moments of humor and affection complement the drama. A classic tale from a consummate artist."—School Library Journal, starred review
* "By retelling Aesop's fable entirely in his signature pencil and watercolor art, Pinkney encourages closer exploration of the pleasing detail with which he amplifies it... It will be a challenge for libraries to make every gorgeous surface available, but it's a challenge worth taking on."—The Horn Book, starred review
"Here, Pinkney is audacious, courageous, or simply imaginative enough to retell the classic Aesop fable without text... As a master of the media, [he] handles pencil and transparent watercolors with added colored pencils to create naturalistic characters while avoiding the strictures of photorealism. This is a stunning tour de force."—Children's Literature
★ 02/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—Employing his signature pencil and watercolor compositions, Pinkney brings a thoughtful, nuanced perspective to this classic tale. The story begins as expected, with the goats "trip-trapping" across the bridge in search of food—the first two urging the troll to wait for the bigger animal coming next. Each goat has a distinctive appearance; the troll is fierce, with green skin, horns, and exceptionally large teeth. The halcyon, rainbow-studded river valley is surrounded with rocks on one side and lush vegetation on the other. While the story retains familiar cadences, subtle decisions about language and behavior elevate the telling, ensuring multiple readings. As the drama progresses, the design changes, incorporating ever-stronger personalities until a gatefold opening accommodates the standoff between the largest goat and the troll. Hand-lettered sound effects enhance the text's dynamic potential. An artist's note mentions that Pinkney was "confounded by the ending of the original tale, in which the troll disappears or turns to stone… It seemed he never had a chance to learn his lesson." Here, after the troll is catapulted into the water, he faces a monster fish who gives him a taste of his own medicine. A visual epilogue on the endpapers allows readers to form their own conclusions about the encounter's impact on all involved. VERDICT With a seasoned storyteller's ear for language and an extraordinary mastery of his medium, this wise and gentle bookmaker helps readers see that cleverness, community, and confrontation all have a time and place in dealing with a bully. Sure to become a storytime staple.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library
★ 2017-03-06
Pinkney adapts the classic Norwegian tale, adding dramatic textual and visual details honoring the value of second chances. Three hungry goats, eyeing the lush grasses on the opposite riverside, "trip, trap" onto the bridge, each tussling with the troll barring passage. Snaggle-toothed, green-skinned, with a tail like a lion's, the hungry troll allows the first two across, since each promises even bigger eats to come. Pinkney's panoramic watercolor-and-pencil compositions visually differentiate the goats' sizes. The littlest, with stubby horns, squeezes through the bridge's gate. The bigger billy, with longer horns, leaps it. The largest, with full, curving horns, bursts through the gate with a "CRACK!" and "CRASH!" (A gatefold page amplifies the drama.) The threatened goat charges, butting the troll off the bridge. A giant, toothy fish yells, "WHO'S THAT SPLISH-SPLASHING IN MY RIVER?" Pinkney deals a lucky break, wryly speculating that "the troll was probably a bit too sour and green to make a tasty meal" for the retreating fish. Meanwhile, a whole "herd of billy goats" trip-traps over to enjoy that lovely green hill. Observant readers will detect, on the last spread and endpapers, that the goats and troll (who's building a new stone hut) have swapped riverbanks. Pinkney's graceful note invites readers to ponder issues of forgiveness, redemption, and peaceful coexistence in a terrific tale well-suited to family and group read-alouds. (Picture book/folk tale. 3-8)