The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a Norwegian folktale retold and illustrated by Janet Stevens in 1990. It is intended for children ages 4-7.

This story is about three goat siblings: the oldest, middle, and youngest. They try to cross a bridge up to the mountain to find sweeter grass, but encounter a troll that wishes to eat them. Each goat tries to get past the troll, but the older goat is the most clever. He gets the three goats safely across the bridge.

This book is a folktale story. This story is very similar to the original I found. The only difference is the language and wording. The original is a bit more mature in language than this one. The illustrations in the story are done with watercolor and are very nice to look at. They definitely compliment the story.

I liked this version of the book, it was a very cute story. I liked that it had a happy ending. I think this is a good book for children to read because it teaches them that they can overcome any obstacle. Other books by Janet Stevens:

• Tops & Bottoms
• The Tortoise & The Hare
• The Little Red Pen
• My Big Dog
• Cock-a-Doodle-Do!

Motivational Activities:

• Compare and contrast the Norwegian version of this story to a version from another country.
• Write your own version of this folktale. Keep it similar, but be creative.

Reader Response Questions:

• What would you do to outsmart the troll?
• Do you think the Billy Goats could have found sweeter grass somewhere else?
• Was it a good idea for the Billy Goats to find different grass? Why or why not?

 Stevens, J. (1987). The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.