Different version of goldilocks and the three bears

Versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It’s so much fun to explore different versions of familiar tales! They’re also great for building the skills of comparing/contrasting. We’ve shared a variety of collections featuring familiar tales in our book lists.

Today’s list is a fun one … Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

The 3 Bears and Goldilocks, by Margaret Willey

If you’d like a new perspective on the traditional story, this is a good one to check out. When Goldilocks finds the bears’ home, there’s no tidy cottage. Instead, the bears live in a dirty cabin (with leaves and fish bones on the floor), eat porridge filled with beetles and bark, and sleep in beds made of leaves, pine needles, and bird feathers. While the story didn’t especially grab us, it’s a fun new take. The illustrations are great, too.

Goldilocks, by Ruth Sanderson

This is a beautiful book with a fresh ending to the traditional story. While picking blueberries, Goldilocks stumbles on the three bears’ home. “Forgetting her manners,” she walks right in. The story continues in the traditional way until the bears return home. Instead of running out of the house, Goldilocks makes the beds, mends the chair, and offers her blueberries for a batch of blueberry muffins. A cozy, heartwarming book.

Deep in the Forest, by Brinton Turkle

This is a wordless picture book in which a baby bear stumbles upon a log cabin. I like the setting (the American frontier days) and the expressive illustrations. Challenge your students to help you write the text!

Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears, by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Beth Coulton

In this modern version, the Three Bears are looking for a lead singer for their rock band. They audition everyone (including the three little pigs and Little Red Riding Hood), but no one has the right pitch. Meanwhile, Goldilocks discovers their empty house. She breaks the microphone, finds the perfect headset, and falls asleep (drooling) on the keyboard. When the bears discover her, she lets out a scream (a perfect high C!) and becomes the new lead singer. I loved it; my Four wasn’t impressed.

Goatilocks and the Three Bears, by Erica S. Perl

This book gets the prize for funniest story and cutest illustrations. Goatilocks is a little kid (get it? ha ha) who lives down the road from a family of bears. The silly twist is that she eats the things she finds … including the littlest bear’s bowl and spoon, his chair, and his bed (plus the blanket, two pillows, and a pair of pajamas). It’s a fun book with just the right amount of text. Recommended for sure!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by Jan Brett

Honestly, the text in this book is too familiar. Brett adds nothing to the familiar story. But her illustrations are truly a work of art. If you have a listener who loves studying elaborate illustrations, this is the book for you. If you are looking for a new twist, skip it.

The Three Snow Bears, by Jan Brett

I like this twist on the familiar story, as the three bears live in an Igloo, and it’s an Inuit girl named Aloo-ki who discovers their home. Brett’s books can be a bit too text-heavy, but this one is just right (get it? ha ha).

Goldilocks and Just One Bear, by Leigh Hodgkinson

This one has an interesting twist. At the beginning of the book we meet a large bear lost in the city. When he finds himself in a posh high rise apartment, he tries the food, chairs, and bed … only to discover that the golden-haired mistress of the house is someone he’s met before!

Somebody and the Three Blairs, by Marilyn Tolhurst

Somebody is a little bear who explores the home of the three Blairs (Papa Blair, Mama Blair, and Baby Blair). The story is funny, the illustrations are adorable, and Baby Bear’s comments are hilarious. A favorite for sure!

Goldilocks Returns, by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Goldilocks is all grown up, regrets what she did as a girl, and has created a business selling locks and keys. She returns to the Bears’ house, anxious to make amends – but it turns out she hasn’t learned her lesson after all. Without the Bears’ permission, Goldilocks adds multiple padlocks to their door, replaces the porridge with “better” food (rutabaga bars and celery juice) and adds her own decorative touch. Silly Goldilocks!

Goldilocks and the Three Hares, by Heidi Petach

This is an absolutely hilarious book with lots of puns, great illustrations and irresistible speech bubbles. The book does get long when you read it over and over (as my Four requested), but I didn’t really mind until about the fifth time.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner

The pictures steal the show in this book in this fantastic book by a husband and wife team (the parents of nine kids!). The expressions on the characters are priceless – I laughed every time I read it (and my Two requested it a lot). Even though this is very much based on the familiar tale, the Buehners add their own spin. Don’t miss it!

Dusty Locks and the Three Bears, by Susan Lowell

This is a fun, highly recommended variation. The southwest tale is about a girl who’s so dirty and unkempt that she’s called Dusty Locks. The best part is the hilarious dialogue .. “Ya-hoo! I’m so hungry I could eat a saddle blanket.”

“She had no more manners than a pig in a peach orchard.”

“Papa Bear was madder than a half-squashed hornet.”

And when the bears find the dirty Dusty Locks in Baby Bear’s bed … “Land sakes! Smells pretty whiffy in here.”

Fun to read aloud, and fun to listen to!

Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians, by Jackie Mims Hopkins

In this super fun version, Goldie Socks finds a house made entirely of books – because it’s the home of the three libearians, of course! I love how she chooses a book to read that’s just right (using the five finger method, ha ha) looks for a place to read it, and ends up snuggled up in Little Bear’s reading tent. Just an all around great book that all of us loved.

The Three Bears, by Paul Galdone

I always recommend getting a vintage version, and this is the Three Bears version I love most. Published in 1972, it’s the original story with all of Paul Galdone’s simple charm.

Me and You, by Anthony Browne

This is a completely new and modern take which tells two stories at the same time. The bear family is out for a walk in the city, and a little girl gets lost while on an errand with her mother. This book is great for teaching students to make predictions and inferences, but the pictures can be hard to see if you’re reading to a large group.

Goldie and the Three Hares, by Margie Palatini

In this fractured fairy tale, Goldie stumbles into the three hares’ hole while running from the three bears. And she’s a very demanding houseguest!

Goldie and the Three Bears, by Diane Stanley

In this book, Goldie is a sweet but particular little girl who knows exactly what she likes. “I want plain pasta with just butter and no green things please.” When the school bus drops off Goldie at the wrong stop, she looks for a place to call her mom. Which brings her to the bears’ house. It turns out that Baby Bear is the perfect playmate for Goldie. The ending was a little weird for me (she calls her mom, who lets her stay for dinner at the bears’ house without having met them), but my Three loved it. Sweet story.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, by Mo Willems

This is another fun book from the creator of the Pigeon series and the Elephant and Piggy books. Not only do kids love this one, but you’ll appreciate all the little jokes thrown in. When the dinosaurs set a trap of three giant bowls of chocolate pudding, “a poorly supervised little girl named Goldilocks came along.” Goldilocks is clueless that she has just fallen into a trap until she hears the dinosaurs talking about their catch. “Goldilocks took a minute to stop and think, which was longer than she was used to stopping and thinking.”

Funny!

Leola and the Honeybears, by Melodye Benson Rosales

Leola wanders from her Grandmama’s cottage, surprises the Honeybear family, and learns a few lessons about manners. The text has a lovely southern flair, and the illustrations are bright and vibrant.

Both my Four and I enjoyed this African American retelling.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by James Marshall

We never tire of the fairy tale adaptations by James Marshall. This is a special favorite because the main character is so unlike the Goldilocks we’ve met in other versions. “Goldilocks was one of those naughty little girls who do whatever they please.” Ignoring warning signs posted all over the trees, Goldilocks takes a short cut right to the bears’ house. Kids will giggle when she enters their home to find fur everywhere and thinks, “They must have kitties. ” A book to own!

Have you seen our Reader’s Theater scripts yet?

Build fluency with these familiar tales… including Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

YOUR STUDENTS WILL LOVE OUR READER’S THEATER PLAYS!

Reader’s Theater Scripts – Familiar Tales for Grades 1-3

$12.00

Reader’s theater is the easiest (and most fun!) way to build fluency. This popular bundle has ten plays based on familiar tales. You’ll love the differentiation in these engaging scripts!

Buy Now

MEMBERS GET PRINTABLE BOOK LISTS!

Members of The Measured Mom Plus get one-click access to each of our printable book lists … not to mention practical video workshops, no-print resources, and hundreds of printables. Not a member yet? Learn more here.

CHECK OUT ALL THE BOOK LISTS IN THE MEMBERSHIP

Free Reading Printables for Pre-K-3rd Grade

Join our email list and get this sample pack of time-saving resources from our membership site! You'll get phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension resources . .. all free!

Teaching with Versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears Story

23 Versions of Goldilocks and the three bears stories. Read various versions of this classic story. Have fun comparing these fractured fairy tales.

23 Versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears Story

We all know and love this classic story. It is so fun to read different versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. Whether you’re comparing and contrasting or just reading them for fun, students are sure to enjoy these fractured fairy tales.

#1 Goldie and the Three Hares by Margie Palatini

Goldilocks falls down a rabbit hole while running from the three bears. In the beginning, Mama Hare, Papa Hare, and Little Baby Hare try their hardest to make the “just right” environment for Goldi and her injured foot. Their feelings quickly change and they come up with a plan to get her out of there.

This book is included in this Engaging Readers Unit:

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Story Unit of Study: Reading Comprehension Unit

#2 Deep in the Forest by Brinton Turkle

A wonderful wordless picture book that tells the story of a little bear that wanders into a country home. He finds his way to the little girl’s bed before he is scared away. Wordless books are great for developing vocabulary and oral language.

#3 Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim

A fun Chinese twist about a little girl and three pandas. Goldy visits her panda neighbors to finds them not home. She makes herself comfortable on Little Chan’s futon after eating his rice porridge and breaking his rocking chair.

This book is included in this Engaging Readers Unit:

ENGAGING READERS FAIRY TALES & FOLK TALES EDITION K-2

#4 Goldilocks and the Three Bears story retold by James Marshall

A naughty Goldilocks takes the shortcut through the forest on her way to buy muffins. Meanwhile, three brown bears take a bicycle ride while their porridge cools. Goldilocks finds her way inside a house and soon discovers who it belongs to.

This book is included in this Engaging Readers Unit:

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Unit of Study: Reading Comprehension Unit

#5 Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Beth Coulton

A rock-and-roll bear family is looking for a singer for their band. While they set out to find one, Goldi Rocks finds herself trying out musical instruments inside their home. The bears come home to find Goldi asleep on the piano. She awakes with a scream that is a perfect high C. So of course, she joins the band!

#6 Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Caralyn Buehner

A jump-roping Goldilocks is looking for jump-roping friends. She jumps her way through the bear’s house eating porridge, breaking a chair and lastly, taking a nap.

This book is included in this Engaging Readers Unit:

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Unit of Study: Reading Comprehension Unit

#7 Me and You by Anthony Browne

This Goldilocks and The Three Bears story is truly a unique version. The story pattern is similar to the traditional Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but the illustrations are so neat and different. One side of the page is about the three bears; whereas, the other side shows only pictures of “Goldilocks” and how she finds her way into the bear’s home.

#8 Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

I love that Mo Willems wrote a fractured version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It does have a bit of a twist, though. Three dinosaurs have a plan to trap Goldilocks inside their home.

This book is included in this Engaging Readers Unit:

Reading Comprehension: Engaging Readers: JUNE NO PREP ELA Unit for K-1

#9 Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson

I had to have this book on the my list as it is an interesting version of the Goldilocks and the Three bears story! A bear gets lost in the big, loud city. He finds a quiet apartment and takes a rest. The bear awakes to loud shouting and soon recognizes a special person from his past.

#10 Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Mims Hopkins

Goldie Socks discovers a cottage made of books. She cautiously peeks inside to find a library. She finds a book and a place to read that was just right for her. Soon after, the three libearians return from lunch and join her for a story.

#11 Leola and the Honeybears by Melodye Benson Rosales

This Goldilocks and the Three Bears story is an African-American retelling. Leola takes a stroll away from her Grandmama’s cottage and gets lost in the woods. She runs away from sly Ol’ Mister Weasel and finds a house with some yummy pie. She soon meets the Honeybear family, who helps Leola find her way back to her Grandmother.

#12 Goldiclucks and the Three Bears by Charlotte Guillan

A small chick named Goldiclucks plays the role of Goldilocks in this fractured fairy tale.

#13 Dusty Locks and the Three Bears by Susan Lowell

A fun western twist! Three grizzly bears get an unwelcome visit from a dirty little girl that ran away from home. Dusty Locks ate the bear cub’s red-hot beans, broke his stool, and slept on his little straw mattress.

#14 Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Gerda Muller

Goldilocks’ family worked in a circus. One day, the traveling caravan stopped at the edge of a forest. Goldilocks went to pick some flowers and she stumbled upon a house in the woods.

#15 The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett

Aloo-ki finds the biggest igloo she’s ever seen. She looks inside and smells the delicious smell of soup. She goes in and tries on boots and finds a nice cozy place to sleep. The three polar bears return and Aloo-ki takes off to find her snow dogs.

#16 Rubia and the Three Osos by Susan Middleton Elya

A fun, Spanish flair in this fractured fairy tale. Little Miss Rubia gets away from the three bears but decides to do a good deed. She comes back to visit with some soup and glue to fix the chair.

#17 Tackylocks and the Three Bears by Helen Lester

Tacky and his penguin companions put on a play about the three bears for Mrs. Beakly’s school.

#18 Goldie and the Three Bears by Diane Stanley

Goldie was a picky little girl and knew exactly what she liked. She had a hard time finding a “just right” friend until she got off the bus at the wrong stop and found someone new.

#19 Goldilocks and the Three Bears retold by Jan Brett

This book is full of beautiful illustrations and follows the original story pretty closely.

#20 Goatilocks and the Three Bears by Erica S. Perl

Goatilocks lived down the road from the family of bears. When the bears went for a walk, she decided to explore their house. After eating the porridge (and spoon), the chair, and the little bed she fell asleep on the floor. She felt bad and wanted to make things right, so she brought the bear family a gift they could all eat together.

#21 Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks! by Nancy Loewen

Baby bear tells his version of Goldilocks and The Three Bears story. A cool modern twist in this fun story.

#22 Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Gennady Spirin

This book follows the traditional pattern and adds a Renaissance flair to the Goldilocks and The Three Bears story.

#23 Goldilocks Returns by Lisa Ernst

Goldilocks returns to the bears’ cabin several years later and does a little fixing up to make amends for her past behavior.

I hope you enjoyed these versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears story!

Are you reading fairy tales in your classroom right now? Here are a few things you may like!

Fairy Tale STEM and Math Challenges
Engaging Readers: Fairy Tales and Folktales

Three Bears - Russian folk tale, read online

One girl left home for the forest. She got lost in the forest and began to look for her way home, but she did not find it, but came to the house in the forest.

The door was open; she looked at the door, sees: there is no one in the house, and entered. Three bears lived in this house. One bear was a father, his name was Mikhailo Ivanovich. He was big and shaggy. The other was a bear. She was smaller, and her name was Nastasya Petrovna. The third was a little bear cub, and his name was Mishutka. The bears were not at home, they went for a walk in the forest. nine0003

There were two rooms in the house: one was a dining room, the other was a bedroom. The girl entered the dining room and saw three cups of stew on the table. The first cup, a very large one, was Mikhail Ivanovich's. The second cup, smaller, was Nastasya Petrovnina; the third, little blue cup, was Mishutkin. Beside each cup lay a spoon: large, medium and small.

The girl took the biggest spoon and drank from the biggest cup; then she took the middle spoon and drank from the middle cup; then she took a small spoon and drank from a little blue cup; and Mishutkin's stew seemed to her the best. nine0003

The girl wants to sit down and sees three chairs by the table: one large one is for Mikhail Ivanych; the other is smaller - Nastasya Petrovnin, and the third, small, with a blue little pillow - Mishutkin. She climbed onto a large chair and fell; then she sat down on the middle chair, it was awkward on it; then she sat down on a small chair and laughed—it was so good.

She took the little blue cup into her lap and began to eat. She ate all the stew and began to swing on a chair.

The chair broke and she fell to the floor. nine0003

She got up, picked up a chair and went to another room. There were three beds: one big bed for Mikhail Ivanovich; the other middle one is Nastasya Petrovnina; the third small one is Mishenkina.

The girl lay down in the big bed, it was too spacious for her; lay down in the middle - it was too high; she lay down in the little one - the bed fit her just right, and she fell asleep.

And the bears came home hungry and wanted to have dinner.

The big bear took the cup, looked and roared in a terrible voice:

- WHO DRINKED IN MY CUP?

Nastasya Petrovna looked at her cup and growled not so loudly:

— WHO DRINKED IN MY CUP?

And Mishutka saw his empty cup and squeaked in a thin voice:

— WHO DRINKED IN MY CUP AND DRINKED EVERYTHING?

Mikhail Ivanovich looked at his chair and roared in a terrible voice:

— WHO SIT ON MY CHAIR AND PUSHED IT FROM THE PLACE?

Nastasya Petrovna looked at her chair and growled not so loudly:

- WHO WAS SITTING ON MY CHAIR AND PUSHING IT OUT?

Mishutka looked at his broken chair and squeaked:

— WHO SIT ON MY CHAIR AND BROKEN IT?

The bears came to another room.

— WHO WAS IN MY BED AND KRUGGED IT? roared Mikhail Ivanovitch in a terrible voice.

— WHO WAS IN MY BED AND KRUGGED IT? growled Nastasya Petrovna, not so loudly.

And Mishenka set up a bench, got into his bed and squeaked in a thin voice:

- WHO WAS IN MY BED?

And suddenly he saw a girl and squealed as if he was being cut:

— There she is! Hold it, hold it! Here she is! Ay-ya-yay! Hold on!

He wanted to bite her.

The girl opened her eyes, saw bears and rushed to the window. It was open, she jumped out the window and ran away. And the bears did not catch up with her.

Three Bears - "Svetoslav"

Three Bears is a Russian folk tale about a little girl who gets lost in the forest. She got into the house of three bears. There, the girl ate from every cup, sat on every chair, lay in every bed, which made the bears who returned home very angry. Reading the fairy tale Three Bears is good for children who need to be taught to order. nine0003

Three Bears is a fairy tale for children, from English folklore, translated into many languages of the world. In Russian, it was widely used in the retelling of Leo Tolstoy. In Tolstoy, the heroine initially did not have a name and was simply called "one girl." Later, in the Russian version of the tale, the name Masha was assigned to the girl. In the most common English version, the girl's name is Goldilocks.

Summary of the fairy tale Three Bears. A little girl, lost in the forest, finds an empty dwelling and enters it. She discovers three items of different sizes - plates, chairs, beds - and tries to use them, while two items from each set turn out to be unacceptable for her for one reason or another, and the third is “just right”. After she falls asleep, the owners return to the dwelling - a bear, a bear and a cub, and the awakened girl flees through the window. nine0003

Three bears

One girl left home for the forest. She got lost in the forest and began to look for her way home, but she did not find it, but came to the house in the forest.

The door was open: she looked through the door, saw that there was no one in the house, and entered.

Three bears lived in this house. One bear was a father, his name was Mikhail Ivanovich. He was big and shaggy. The other was a bear. She was smaller, and her name was Nastasya Petrovna. The third was a little bear cub, and his name was Mishutka. The bears were not at home, they went for a walk in the forest. nine0003

There were two rooms in the house: one was a dining room, the other was a bedroom.

The girl entered the dining room and saw three cups of stew on the table. The first cup, very large, was Mikhail Ivanovich's. The second cup, smaller, was Nastasya Petrovnina. The third, little blue cup, was Mishutkin. Beside each cup lay a spoon: large, medium and small.

The girl took the biggest spoon and drank from the biggest cup; then she took the middle spoon and drank from the middle cup; then she took a small spoon and drank from a little blue cup, and Mishutka's stew seemed to her the best of all. nine0003

The girl wants to sit down and sees three chairs by the table: one large one for Mikhail Ivanovich, another smaller one for Nastasya Petrovnin, and a third small one with a little blue cushion for Mishutkin.

She climbed onto a large chair and fell down; then she sat down on the middle chair, it was awkward on it; then she sat down on a small chair and laughed—it was so good. She took the little blue cup on her knees and began to eat. She ate all the stew and began to swing on a chair.

The chair broke and she fell to the floor. She got up, picked up a chair and went to another room. There were three beds: one large bed for Mikhail Ivanychev, another medium bed for Nastasya Petrovnina, and a third small bed for Mishenkina. nine0003

The girl lay down in the big bed - it was too spacious for her; lay down in the middle - it was too high; she lay down in the little one - the bed fit her just right, and she fell asleep.

And the bears came home hungry and wanted to have dinner.

The big bear took his cup, looked and roared in a terrible voice:

— WHO SUCKED IN MY CUP!

Nastasya Petrovna looked at her cup and growled not so loudly:

— WHO SUCKED IN MY CUP! nine0003

And Mishutka saw his empty cup and squeaked in a thin voice:

— Who sipped in my cup and drank everything!

Mikhail Ivanovich looked at his chair and roared in a terrible voice:

— WHO IS SITTING ON MY CHAIR AND PUSHED IT FROM THE PLACE!

Nastasya Petrovna looked at her chair and growled not so loudly:

— WHO WERE SITTING ON MY CHAIR AND PUSHED IT FROM THE PLACE!

Mishutka looked at his broken chair and squeaked:

- Who was sitting on my chair and broke it!

— WHO LEG IN MY BED AND CRUSHED IT! roared Mikhailo Ivanovich in a terrible voice.

"WHO HELD IN MY BED AND CRUSHED IT!" Nastasya Petrovna growled not so loudly.

And Mishenka set up a little bench, climbed into his bed and squeaked in a thin voice:

— Who went to my bed!

And suddenly he saw a girl and squealed as if he was being cut:

— There she is! Hold it, hold it! Here she is! Here she is! Ay-yay! Hold on! He wanted to bite her. The girl opened her eyes, saw the bears and rushed to the window. The window was open, she jumped out the window and ran away. And the bears did not catch up with her. nine0003

The history of writing the fairy tale Three Bears

Modern folklorists trace the roots of the English version of the Three Bears fairy tale to the similar Scottish fairy tale about three bears and a cunning fox. Having climbed into the house of bears and played pranks there, the fox fell asleep in the bed of the smallest bear, was caught there by the returning owners and was forced to flee. In the tale, his name is simply "sly fox."

The tale was introduced into the literary tradition in 1837 by Robert Southey as "The Tale of the Three Bears". In his version, the protagonist is not a fox, but a "little old woman" with a hooligan character, somewhat reminiscent of Shapoklyak. nine0003

In 1831, Eleanor Muir put the fairy tale she had heard into verse. Eleanor Muir's version turned out and remained the most bloodthirsty in the history of the plot. In all other versions, a fox, an old woman or a girl flees through the window and nothing is said about their further fate. In Muir, an old woman jumps out the window of a high-rise building in Rome and impales herself on the spire of St. Paul's Cathedral.

An important step in bringing the fairy tale to a modern look was made by the English writer Joseph Candall. In 1850, his Treasury of Amusing Books for Young Children was published. In his version of The Three Bears, a little girl becomes the hero, and any motive of hooliganism is removed: the girl tries to eat and sleep, simply because she got lost in the forest, tired and hungry. True, the girl's name is not Goldilocks yet, but Silver-haired. nine0003

After appearing in a new form, the heroine often changed names depending on publications. At first, her hair color was silver. Since the 1868 edition, the hair color has changed and the girl has become Goldilocks.

In Russia, the fairy tale Three Bears appeared and quickly became popular in the retelling and adaptation of Leo Tolstoy.