The Three Billy Goats Buenos

Starred review from January 27, 2020
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.