29 November 2022 THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF by Mac Barnett and John Klassen, ill,, Orchard, October 2022, 48p., ISBN: 978-1-338-67384-5

"Three Billy Goats Gruff (Norwegian: De tre bukkene Bruse) is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr, first published between 1841 and 1844...The first version of the story in English appeared in George Webbe Dasent's translation of some of the Norske Folkeeventyr, published as Popular Tales from the Norse in 1859. The heroes of the tale are three male goats who need to outsmart a ravenous troll to cross the bridge to their feeding ground.”

– Wikipedia

“I'm going to eat up your cities

Your homes, you know

I've got a stomach full it's not

A chip on my shoulder

I've got this growl in my tummy

And I'm gonna stop it today”

– Dave Matthews Band, “Too Much” (1996)”

Did you know? Half a century ago, during the Back to the Land movement, the tale of the Three Billy Goats Gruff was decried by dairy goat aficionados who were seeking to promote backyard milk production and to rehabilitate the cartoon image of the mean, garbage-eating, horn-wielding goat?

Forget about that. This version of the one-hundred-and-eighty year-old tale is engaging and hysterical. You want to have and share this one.

“A little goat stood there, quivering.

‘It’s only me,’ said the goat.

‘A billy goat. My last name’s Gruff.’

The troll began to dance and stomp.

‘I love goat! Let me count the ways.

A rump of goat in honey glaze.

Goat smoked, goat poached, a goat pot roast.

Goat smorgasbord! Goat smeared on toast!

A goat kale salad – hold the kale.

Goat escargot! (That’s goat plus snails.)

On goat I’ll dine, on goat I’ll sup.

You little goat, I’ll eat you up!’”

While the arc of the story here is faithful to the traditional tale, I really like how, in this rollicking version, with its goat cuisine rapping, we are not aware of whether or not the troll actually drowns. Rammed by the third, quite huge goat, he falls into the river, tumbles down some falls, floats around the bend and, “Where he ended up, I really can’t say.”

Caldecott medalist Jon Klassen employs ink, watercolors, and graphite to create thoroughly fresh and engaging characters for this traditional tale. Fans of Klassen’s Hat trilogy will readily recognize his superb work here.

I’m delighted to hear that THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF is the first in a planned series of tales to be retold by this dynamic duo. I greedily await what comes next.

Richie Partington, MLIS

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