The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Written by P. C. Asbjornsen, J. E. Moe and Marcia Brown

Narrated by Rex Robbins

Once on a time…

A favorite with storytellers because of the rich, descriptive language of the retelling, this is a reissue of the classic edition of the famous Scandinavian tale.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
• Release date: Sep 1, 1962
• ISBN: 9780545258753

Reviews for The Three Billy Goats Gruff

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Three-time Caldecott medalist Marcia Brown, who was particularly known for her folkloric retellings, turns in this picture-book to the traditional Norwegian tale of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. On their way to mountain pastures in order to fatten up, the eponymous caprine siblings trip over a wooden bridge, one by one, each threatened by the fearsome troll living under the bridge, who wishes to eat them up. The two younger escape by promising a better meal, in the next Billy Goat Gruff, but the eldest makes good use of his horns, and finishes the troll off...

Originally published in 1841 as De tre bukkene Bruse, as part of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe's Norske Folkeeventyr (Norwegian Folktales), this classic story was first translated into English in 1859 by George Webbe Dasent, as part of his Popular Tales from the Norse. Since that time it has become a beloved story in the Anglophone world, and there are countless retellings of it. This presentation of the tale uses the Dasent translation, pairing it with Brown's artwork. Although I don't have a strong attachment to this particular story - it wasn't one of my childhood favorites - I do enjoy it, and am always curious to see how different artists interpret the troll. Brown's troll is an interesting one, with a deep brown hue that matches the nearby trees, a long nose and long fingers, and jagged teeth. He manages to stand out, while also seeming like a natural extension of the woodland around him.

All in all, an enjoyable retelling of this well-known tale, one I would recommend to young folklore enthusiasts, and to fans of Marcia Brown's artwork.

[philsyphe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

1985 may have been the last time I was enthralled by this book's pages, but I read this loads of times when I was a boy, though my memories of it now are somewhat sketchy. I know it was a favourite though, hence my five star rating.

I remember loving the part where the "daddy" goat took on the troll!

Classic stuff - something all children should read.

[karahankins-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The "Three Billy Goats Gruff" is a traditional fantasy story which I have read countless times as a child and is one I still enjoy today. One aspect I enjoy about this story is the repetitiveness and sequence. For example, as the first goat walks over the trolls bridge he roars, "Who's that tripping over my bridge?"As the second and third goat walk across, the troll roars the same phrase. This allows the reader to follow along in sequence as the story unfolds, all while inferring the anger the troll feels by repeatedly asking who is crossing over his bridge. Another aspect I enjoyed is the onomatopoeia that is found throughout the story. For example, as the goats cross over the bridge the troll hears, "Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap." This type of figurative language is very engaging and gives a more vivid example of what is occurring. The big idea of this story is that when trouble comes, you do not have to tackle it right away; biding time and gathering strength to overcome a conflict often results in a better outcome rather then reacting immediately.

[emleonard · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The three Billy Goats Gruff want to get to the other side of the hillside where the grass if green and tall. But, they have to cross over a bridge that a mean ugly troll lives under. When the smallest and the middle size goat cross over they get away by telling the troll this biggest goat is next. Then, when the biggest goat crosses he defeats the troll and gets to cross as well. I would use this book while teaching about folktales.

[jgabica_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is a perfect example of a folktale. It is a story that will stick with kids because of its repetition and simpleness. The goats make the troll wait until the oldest crosses the bridge and then defeats the troll and they all live happily ever after.

[sagrundman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the classic story of the three billy goats and the troll under the bridge. The characters are well known, the three billy goats who trick the mean ugly troll into letting them over the bridge and eventually defeat him. The Billy goats are portrayed as the clever good guys and the troll as the typical dumb mean troll. The plot is very linear. The troll stops one goat who convinces him bigger one is coming until the biggest goat beats up the troll. The setting is obviously in a fairytale world on a bridge. The theme is the typical good vs. evil (the good goats beat the evil troll). The story follows like every retelling of the tale (it is very predictable). There isn’t much art work, but the style is as if a child drew it. It even looks like it is colored with crayon. With the big text, it would be a very good book for a beginner reader, even before first grade or as a story time book.

[sharmon05 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The illustrations in this book are very well crafted. They are large and take up most of the page. This allows the reader to gain a lot of the information about the story from the pictures. This story is also a good example of a folktale, because it has been passed down through generations. Furthermore, it is also apart of our culture.