The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Written and illustrated by: Paul Galdone

Houghton Mifflin Company, 1973

32 pages

Traditional Literature

     The Three Billy Goats Gruff classic is a folktale most of us are familiar with. I remember the first time I read this story as a kid. Once upon a time, there were three Billy Goats, and they were all named Gruff. The Billy Goats had very little grass in the valley, so they decide to go up the hillside where they can eat and get fat, because they were very hungry. To get there, each Billy Goat Gruff must cross a bridge. One by one, they encounter the mean and ugly Troll. Will he let them live? Will he gobble them up? Read this story to find out if the three Billy Goats Gruff make it to the other side! I think this book is an excellent example of traditional literature because it is easy to understand, uses repetition, and can be found in many different versions.

     Galdone’s full-color, pen and ink wash illustrations are wild and woolly. The artist uses thin, multicolored lines , especially with the troll’s hair. Bold perspectives, such as one view of the goat from under the bridge, add suspense and drama. Each illustration is drawn in a doublespread layout, which gives the reader a large overview of the scene and its intended mood. The illustrations are a vital part of the story. The size comparison of the three Billy Goats Gruff, the hideous appearance of the troll, and the lush view of the hillside are all brought to life within the hand-drawn images.

     The Three Billy Goats Gruff would be an appropriate book for PreK-3. This retelling of The Three Billy Goats Gruff has not received any awards, but Paul Galdone has been awarded the Caldecott Honor for other works. I found four activities to go along with the book. For beginning lessons to teach the elements of a story, students will receive a graphic organizer to draw and describe a character from the book. Students will then create the setting (bridge) using marshmallows, toothpicks, and popsicle sticks (science). To work on sequence of events, we will have Reader's Theater, and students will get to reenact the story. Using this book for sequence is also a great opportunity to teach math objectives. Students will tell which Billy Goat Gruff was first, second, third/smallest, middle, biggest. Lastly, everyone will create their own flip book including characters, setting, and sequence of events.