#878 of 1001 · December 26, 2022

Trip, trap, trip, trap…that’s the sound of hooves crossing over a wooden bridge, and of course an eternal reminder of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, adapted and illustrated by Marcia Brown. Three goat brothers wish to go up to a meadow to make themselves fat feasting on all the luscious grass. Unfortunately, to get there, they must cross a bridge under which lives a foul, ugly troll. The monster challenges first the smallest, then the middle-sized, and finally the largest billy goat. The biggest makes short work of the troll, and the three brothers delight in the beauty and abundance of the lovely meadow. Brown’s lively text, at every turn faithful to the original tale, is well matched by her loose, jangly drawings and bright, bold colors. A note for folklore enthusiasts: Brown’s source is the original Norwegian fairy tale collected by by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their collection Norske Folkeeventyr, published in 1843 and 1844. Unlike many modern authors, Brown retains the biggest billy goat’s shockingly graphic retort to the troll’s threat: "Well, come along! I've got two spears,/And I'll poke your eyeballs out at your ears;/I've got besides two curling-stones,/And I'll crush you to bits, body and bones." She also cheerfully illustrates the ensuing clash in which the goat fulfills his violent promise. #goat #goats #brother #brothers #troll #bridge #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks