Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox

I just had to get this book, and I'll figure out what child to give it to later. I want to enjoy it myself first! The story idea is fun, and I can't stop looking at the marvelous 50's retro illustrations.

The story is told in clever unsentimental rhyme and includes characters from other fairy tales. My favorite aspect of this book is the 1950's retro illustrations which are a pleasant departure from the plethora of realism in today's children's illustrations. Part of enjoying children's literature includes the transportation into a fantasy world and celebrating imagination. This book has roots of 1950's in the furniture, clothing, and style of drawings, but the context of the drawings to the story is the most creative and progressive approach to a picture book that I've seen in a while.

Kids ages 3-7 will find this a different picturebook story revolving around poor Goldie Locks and her chicken pox experience. Hanako Wakiyama illustrates a story which is told using a variety of rhyme bases from famous rhymes ("Jack, be nimble! Jack, be quick! Come and see! My sister's sick!"). A refreshingly different approach to childhood illness.

I was hooked from the minute I read the title. Goldie's storybook friends (the three bears, Henny Penny, Little Bo Peep and more) ask how she is doing and her annoying little brother tries to connect the dots. It?s a truly creative tale that both my daughters (ages 2 and 4) absolutely love. I am looking forward to reading more stories from this author.

GOLDIE LOCKS HAS CHICKEN POX is a delightful book! The fast moving rhyming text is enhanced by Hanako Wakiyama's amusing and detailed illustrations. My 6 year old son laughed aloud as he read it! As a clinical psychologist and a mother of two, I am always looking for books which take common childhood experiences and infuse them with humor, compassion and imagination. Dealey and Wakiyama succeed in a way that will make you want to read about Goldie and her storybook friends again and again.