Your students are probably familiar with the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. But, have they heard other versions of this tale that provide a twist on the story? Here are some of my favorite versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. You can read these books for fun, but they are also a great tool to use when students compare and contrast two or more texts.
You can click on any of the titles below to learn more about these Goldilocks and the Three Bears stories, or click the buttons to shop these books on Amazon or Bookshop.
we are a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites. We are an affiliate of Bookshop.org and we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
VERSIONS OF GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS
There are so many versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears out there, and more are being written all the time. In no particular order, here are some of the versions we like.
Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas
It’s Chinese New Year, and Goldy Luck’s mother wants her to take a plate of turnip cakes to the neighbors. The Chans aren’t home, but that doesn’t stop Goldy from trying out their rice porridge, their chairs, and their beds—with disastrous results.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
“What a sweet child,” says a newcomer in town about Goldilocks. “That’s what you think,” a neighbor replies. For Goldilocks is one of those naughty little girls who does exactly as she pleases, even if that means sampling the three bears’ porridge, breaking Baby Bear’s chair, and sleeping in his bed.
Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians
When Goldie Socks takes a shortcut through the woods when she is late for school, she comes across an intriguing cottage made of books.
Rubia and the Three Osos
The Oso family is going out for a stroll, and Rubia has her eye on their empty casita. A nice bowl of sopa, a comfortable chair, a perfecta little bed… Who wouldn’t want to open la puerta and come in?
The Three Snow Bears
When Aloo-ki glances up from fishing and sees her sled dogs floating off on an ice floe, she races after them. She comes upon an igloo with no one home and goes inside. Turns out the polar bear family who lives there is out walking while their breakfast cools off. Aloo-ki eats some soup, tries on their boots, and finally crawls into the smallest bed for a nap. Meanwhile, Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear see her dogs adrift, swim out to rescue them and return home to find Aloo-ki fast asleep in Baby Bear’s bed.
The Three Bears
When three bears leave their house to go for a walk in the wood, leaving their porridge to cool, a young girl named Goldilocks comes calling. . . . And what a mess she makes!
Tackylocks and the Three Bears
How do you keep a crowd of energetic young penguins entertained? Put on a play, perhaps? But will they pay attention through an entire performance? If Tacky’s center stage, they might. Even in his flowing blond wig and little red “skipping shoes,” everyone’s favorite misfit penguin imbues the character of Goldilocks with his own indomitable personality and style. So what if the set is in shambles? This is one performance Mrs. Beakly’s students won’t soon forget.
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur… and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day–or no particular reason–they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then–for no particular reason–they decided to go … someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!
Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears
Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear know how to rock! But they need a new singer, so they audition everyone—the Three Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and more. To their dismay, no one seems just right. Could the perfect lead singer be the mysterious girl sleeping on Baby Bear’s keyboard?
Professor Goose Debunks Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Mother Goose’s fairy tales are NOT based in science, and her great niece Professor Goose thinks it’s time to share the truth. Join Professor Goose as she — literally — travels through the pages of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, fact-checking, exposing the flaws and explaining the science. Bears don’t live in cottages — they prefer dens! The smallest bowl of porridge wouldn’t be “just right” — it would have been the coldest! Professor Goose is delighted to see Baby Bear use the scientific method and Goldilocks’s fight or flight response. And maybe Goldilocks should have used a GPS so she wouldn’t have gotten lost in the first place?
Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks!
You think you know the story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”? The tale you’ve heard may not be just right. This retelling of the classic story, told from Baby Bear’s perspective, will convince you that Goldilocks and Baby Bear (whose real name is Sam) were actually besties! This fractured fairy tale provides a fresh perspective on a well-known tale.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Little Wee Bear go out for a morning walk, hoping by the time they get home their porridge will cool to the perfect temperature. But they don’t realize a jump-roping, curly-haired terror named Goldilocks is on the way. Things are about to get messy before the Bear family has a chance to eat their porridge.
Goldilocks and Just the One Bear
Little Bear is all grown up and Goldilocks is a distant memory. One day, Little Bear wanders out of the woods and finds himself lost in the Big City. Will he find the city too noisy? Too quiet? Or just right? And what are the chances of him bumping in to someone who remembers exactly how he likes his porridge?
Goldilocks Returns
Ever since she snooped around the house of the three bears, Goldilocks (now Goldi) has been feeling guilty. She wants to do something nice for the bears. What if she stops by one day, replaces the icky porridge with Rutabega Breakfast Bars and all her favorite foods, fixes Baby Bear’s broken chair, and cleans the house until it gleams? Perfect! When the bears return home, they’ll hardly recognize their home! They’ll LOVE it!
Dusty Locks and the Three Bears
Way out West live three bears who like to keep their cabin neat and tidy. But one day while they’re out for a walk, a dirty little girl named Dusty Locks barges in. When the bears come home to find their nice, neat house looking like it’s been hit by a whirlwind, they get riled-and Dusty Locks runs home so fast the dust doesn’t settle for a week.
Goatilocks and the Three Bears
Goatilocks can’t resist sampling first Papa Bear’s porridge, then Mama Bear’s porridge, then Baby Bear’s porridge—and his bowl and spoon, too. And it turns out Goatilocks has a taste for chairs and beds as well. Has Goatilocks devoured her way to disaster? What will happen when the Bear family returns home from their walk?
I Thought This Was a Bear Book
After an unfortunate bookcase collapse, Alien suddenly finds himself jolted out of his story and into a very strange world, complete with talking bears. Desperate to return to his book, Alien asks the Bear family for help so he can get back to his story and save his beloved Planet Zero from total destruction before it’s too late.
Mama Bear and Papa Bear try all kinds of zany contraptions (with some help from their nemesis, Goldilocks) without much luck. Baby Bear might have the perfect solution to get the Alien out of the woods and back to his planet…but will anyone listen to the littlest voice in the story?
Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates
Once upon a seaworthy sloop lived three pirates: the big, pilfering Papa, the medium-sized, menacing Mama, and the small, bonny Baby, a pirate-in-training. They were excellent pirates, but not very good housekeepers, so their gruel wasn’t tasty, their stools weren’t sturdy, and their hammocks weren’t hung properly. Luckily for them, Goldenlocks happened along when they were out for a row in the harbor.
Goldilocks and the Three Engineers
Goldilocks is an inventor with inventor’s block. To clear her mind, she takes a walk. Coincidentally, a very smart Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear also take a walk, and they find a cute little bungalow with almost-right inventions. Can they help make the inventions just right?
Goldie and the Three Bears
In this spirited new version of a classic fairy tale, we meet a determined heroine with a mind of her own. Can she help it if everyone she invites over is too bossy or too boring or too snobby or too rough? What Goldie desperately wants is a friend she can love with all her heart. And one day, she finds one who’s just right.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Everybody loves the story of the curious little girl named Goldilocks, who made herself quite at home in the house of the three bears. Jan Brett’s lavish illustrations for this classic tale, full of details and surprises, gives this edition a special flair.
Somebody and the Three Blairs
In a reversal of the Goldilocks story, a bear explores the home of the three Blairs while they are out
Goldilocks and the Three Hares
In a humorous take-off of the popular fairytale, the Hare family heads out to get some breakfast after Mama burns the oatmeal, and Goldilocks walks into their house after they leave.
Bear and the Three Goldilocks
The Goldilocks family leave their campsite to go on a hike while their s’mores cool off . . . when along comes Bear.
“What’s that yummy smell?” Bear wonders. S’mores, of course: too gooey, too chocolatey . . . and just right! Bear eats them all.
Bear continues to wreak havoc by breaking a chair, smashing musical instruments, and extinguishing the fire. When the Goldilocks return, they are flabbergasted. They try to make a lot of noise to shoo away the bear . . . when Mama Bear and Papa Bear show up. Mama and Papa apologize profusely for the behavior of their naughty offspring, but the Goldilocks don’t speak “Bear.” They just hear a lot of LOUD GROWLING. So they decide to hightail it out of there, and the Bear family gets to enjoy the tents and snacks that are left behind.
Goldie and the Three Hares
The Hare family—Papa, Mama, and Little Baby Hare—are enjoying a peaceful day in their rabbit hole until they hear a big THUMP outside their door. The thump is Goldilocks herself, who has fallen down the rabbit hole after being chased by the Three Bears.
(I think you know why those bears were chasing her.)
The Hare family is happy to help the girl, who has hurt her foot. But as you might imagine, Goldie is not a very good houseguest. She is tough to please, since every chair is too hard, too soft, or otherwise not just right.
(If you were the Hares, you might agree that Goldilocks is loud, obnoxious, and demanding.)
But when Goldie is finally comfy-cozy in the Hares’ rabbit hole, how are they ever going to get her to leave?
Santa Claus and the Three Bears
Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear weren’t expecting any company when they went for a walk on Christmas Eve, but that’s exactly what they got! Debut author Maria Modugno teams up with award-winning artists Jane and Brooke Dyer to deliver a festive twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, with Santa Claus stepping in as the cheerful intruder.
Leaving their pudding to cool on the kitchen table, the unsuspecting bears head outdoors for a crisp evening walk. But when they return, they are shocked at what they find! Their pudding . . . eaten, their chairs . . . broken, their cozy beds . . . slept in! And it looks like the culprit is still there! Fast asleep in Baby Bear’s bed is someone awfully familiar. A fluffy white beard, a red jacket covered in soot, and two black boots sticking out from under the covers. Could it really be . . . ?
Deep in the Forest
A curious bear explores a cabin in the forest with disastrous results.
Leola and the Honeybears
When Leola wanders away from Grandmama’s cottage, she encounters Ol’ Mister Weasel and samples the pies, the chairs, and the beds of the three gentle Honeybears.
There are a few more books I want to share that are more loosely tied to Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
- Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox – When Goldie Locks spies her first spot, her mother knows it must be chicken pox. Soon after, a steady stream of storybook favorites — including the Three Bears and Little Bo Peep — stop by to wish Goldie Locks a speedy recovery. But how will Goldie get well when her little brother just won’t stop teasing her?
- Yours Truly, Goldilocks – Everyone who’s anyone will be at the Three Little Pigs’ housewarming party. Goldilocks and Little Red Riding Hood have already marked it on their calendars. Unfortunately, so have the wolves — those who’ve caused the Pigs to build their brick house in the first place! In this wonderfully creative sequel to Dear Peter Rabbit, Alma Flor Ada imagines what it would be like if a few beloved fairy-tale characters were pen pals.
- Horrible Harry Bugs the Three Bears – Horrible Harry has always loved insects, especially digging in the dirt for them. And, recently, he’s discovered a new favorite: earwigs! But when he tries to tell his friends about these critters, only Song Lee listens. So when Miss Mackle assigns groups in Room 3B to act out different fairy tales, Harry sees an opportunity to teach the class about his favorite bug. Will they think his play is hilarious…or horrible? You can find resources to pair with this book here.
Ready to compare and contrast two or more versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Grab a freebie here. If you’re looking for more book ideas to help teach students to compare and contrast, check out this blog post.
Do you love to share a mixture of traditional and fractured fairy tales? Check out these book lists:
You can find all of my book lists here.
Happy Reading!
Leave a Reply