Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox

Goldie Locks has

chicken pox;

from head to toe

were polka dots....

When Goldie Locks spies her first spot, her mother knows it must be chicken pox. Soon after, a steady stream of storybook favorites -- including the Three Bears and Little Bo Peep -- stop by to wish Goldie Locks a speedy recovery. But how will Goldie get well when her little brother just won't stop teasing her?

As if the itching and fever of chicken pox isn't bad enough, poor little Goldie Locks can't visit with her friends Red Riding Hood and Bo Peep, and her younger brother is positively ruthless in his teasing. What's a fairy tale gal to do? Wait for Bro's karmic comeuppance, that's what. And if the law of traveling germs holds true, the uppance will come quickly.

Erin Dealey's rhyming lark plays havoc with favorite storybook characters, from Henny Penny to Jack (Goldie's brother calls out the window: "Jack, be nimble! Jack, be quick! / Come and see! My sister's sick!"). Illustrator Hanako Wakiyama's Goldie Locks, with her big, spotted face and tiny blonde braids, is the picture of wretchedness, while her naughty tow-headed sibling is fiendish in his bursting good health (for now, anyway). The distinctive artwork in retro reds and oranges is chock-full of witty details and child-friendly perspectives. Young readers who have suffered at the hands of bratty brothers and sisters will identify immediately with Goldie's frustration and cheer when Little Brother finally gets his just and speckled deserts. (Ages 4 to 7) --Emilie Coulter