The Three Billy Goats Buenos

Zany charm imbues Elya’s deft retelling of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” Rhymes silly and clever weave in Spanish vocabulary words, sneakily cuing correct pronunciation: “There once were three goats, a brotherly trio/ They needed to crisscross a fast-moving río.// But under the bridge lived a grumpy gigante/ with tootsies as big as a small elefante.” The cabritos, of course, make it by the troll, but Middleton Elya tweaks the plot. As the third goat, Tres, faces the troll, he notices something: “Stuck to her foot was a long, sharp espina./ ¡Ay! That must hurt you a lot, mi vecina!” The goats band together to soothe her, and the delightful story ends in an unexpected friendship. Ordóñez’s bug-eyed goats and triangle-toothed troll frolic in a sunny landscape of blocky shapes in vibrant hues. A glossary provides English definitions of Spanish-language words. Ages 4–8. [em](Mar.) [/em]