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  • My First Board Book Series (6 books)
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  • Dinosaur Rescue: 8 BOOK SERIES
  • Dragon Knight: 6 BOOK SERIES
  • Three Bears Sort Of
  • Little Red Riding Hood ... Not Quite
  • We've Got A Boat
  • The Weather Machine
  • Dashing Dog
  • Northwood
  • Maddy West and the Tongue Taker
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  • Phoebe and the Night Creatures
  • The Story of Bo and the Circus that Wasn't
  • A Right Royal Christmas
  • Faithfully Mozart -the fantastic world of Wolfgang Armadeus Mozart
  • The Tuotara and the Skink
  • Wacko Kakapo

 

 

THE THREE BEARS SORT OF 2013
Written by Yvonne Morrison
Illustrated by Donovan Bixley
Softcover
215 x 265mm (portrait), 32 pages

 

AWARDS

OVERALL CHILDREN'S CHOICE. NZ Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2014.

CHILDREN'S CHOICE. Western Australian Young Readers Book Awards 2014.

 

If you think you know the story of Goldilocks and the

Three Bears then you better think again.  I’m sure

you’ve never had a child pointing out the loop holes

in the story as you read it before.  This is exactly

what happens in Yvonne Morrison and Donovan

Bixley’s new take on the story, The Three Bears (Sort of).

 

REVIEWED ON BESTFRIENDSRBOOKS.COM

The Three Bears (Sort of) is an entertaining and unique 

retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears that adults 

will enjoy as much as children.  Yvonne Morrison’s text 

will have you in stitches! It’s full of sarcasm that adults 

especially will love and she’s captured the voice of an 

inquisitive toddler and the mother (who’s making it up 

as she goes along) perfectly. Donovan Bixley’s illustrations 

are absolutely wonderful and really match the humour of the 

story and the way it’s being told.  The hands of the mother 

and son can be seen on some of the pages, as they draw or add 

pictures into the story.  Donovan’s Goldilocks looks both cute 

and bratty, and I love the facial expressions of the bears.  

I think Donovan is New Zealand’s own Anthony Browne

because of the way he adds extra details into his illustrations 

that add another layer to the story.  On the very first page, 

above the publication details, there are some interesting 

objects on the mantelpiece, including soft toy bears, a card 

for a locksmith, and a postcard from Svalbard. You’ll also 

notice the tree patterns on the wallpaper.  I also really love 

the way that Donovan has designed the book, with the son’s 

interruptions inside a box on the page and in a different, 

childish font.  This makes it clear to see when the son is 

talking and when the mother is talking.

It’s perfect for reading aloud one-on-one or with a large group, 

and it’s ideal for acting out.

5 out of 5 stars