By Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
Orchard Books, 2022
Picture book, 48 pages, ages 4-8
A bridge is guarded by a troll who loves to eat anything that dares to cross. And goat is his favorite. So when a little goat clip-clops onto the bridge, the troll is overjoyed and starts to plan his upcoming goat meal in rhyme. But the first Gruff says that the troll doesn’t want to eat him, but his bigger brother coming along behind. Hmm…bigger, meatier, juicier goat sounds tastier, so the troll lets him pass.
The classic fairytale rebooted with a hilarious twist.
Sure enough, along comes the next Gruff goat brother, and he is indeed bigger than the first. When he clip-clops onto the bridge, the troll leaps onto it and begins to plan his upcoming goat meal. But the second billy goat Gruff says that his bigger brother is coming along behind him. Hmm… even bigger and tastier, the troll thinks, and lets him pass.
And so the third Gruff brother comes, and with him, a quintessential Barnett/Klassen twist that you’ll just have to read. (No spoilers here!)
Barnett’s old-timey yet modern text strikes the perfect tone for a fairytale retelling. Klassen’s wonderfully deadpan characters add so much to the story. His tonal artwork sets a slightly sinister mood and builds toward a completely satisfying visual punchline. It all works perfectly for a picture book that plays with the classic fairy tale structure. It’s a little dark, but not too dark. It’s a little scary, but not too scary. And it’s more than a little funny.
As with all fairytales, there’s a lesson there if you want to find it. But it’s a great story to be read just for fun.
Will kids like this book? It depends on the kid. Do they like stories with unexpected twists? Slightly grim humor? Fairytales? Then they’ll love this book. However, the muted illustrations and slower pacing might not be to every kid’s liking. As a kid, I would have loved it as much as I do as an adult.
This is Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen at the top of their storytelling game.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett receives 5 stars from this reviewer.