Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

Elya's verse doesn't miss a beat as she delivers a playful slang- and Spanish-inflected retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. While the bears are out for a pre-dinner walk, Little Miss Rubia makes herself at home: ""She opened la puerta and saw the fine food./ %E2%80%98%C2%A1Sopa!' she said. %E2%80%98I am so in the mood!' "" Rubia escapes when the bears return home, but makes amends for her bad behavior, leading Pap%C3%A1 to tell her, ""Our house es tu casa."" With highlights of bright magenta, green, and orange, Sweet's mixed-media artwork amplifies the characters' delight, anger, and guilt, and Elya's pitch-perfect verse will have readers clamoring for seconds. Ages 3%E2%80%937. (Sept.)

ALA Booklist (Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2010)

It's hard to imagine that there could be a fresh take on the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but here it is. Written in English and sprinkled with Spanish words that can be easily interpreted (a glossary with pronunciation is included), this is traditional to a point e soup is eaten, the chair is ruined, the beds are slept in th many of the expected humorous touches. However, this Rubia is remorseful, returning to the casita de los osos after her great escape with sopa in hand (and some glue for those chairs). Sweet's imaginative, colorful illustrations featuring a spunky heroine ("daintily frocked" with red cowboy boots), rotund bears, and their appealingly appointed cottage, add a great deal to the book's charm and sparkle, and place it on par with other good retellings, including Dusty Locks and the Three Bears by Susan Lowell (2001) and Goldilocks Returns by Lisa Campbell Ernst (2000).

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

This "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" retelling includes a revamped happy ending in which Rubia brings food to the bears and helps repair Bebi Bear's chair. The jolly text, which includes a smattering of Spanish words, occasionally strains for meaning or rhyme. Sweet's watercolor and mixed-media illustrations showing the Bears' comfy home are amusing. Glos.

Kirkus Reviews

The perennially popular "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" assumes a Spanish accent in this contemporary retelling. Framed in clever rhyming text, the familiar classic introduces Spanish words to change the flavor of the tale and humorously teach young readers basic Spanish vocabulary. In this version, the three osos live by themselves and decide to take a stroll before dinner. While the osos are out, Rubia with curls of oro boldly trespasses into their casita , discovers their platos of sopa , finishes off bebe 's sopa , breaks bebe 's silla and falls asleep in bebe 's cama until the three osos return and chase her away. However, unlike the original Goldilocks, Rubia makes amends by taking homemade sopa to the osos along with a heartfelt lo siento. Pencil, watercolor and collage illustrations are packed with Southwest detail and rendered in fiesta colors, adding Latin flair, while the overtly comic depiction of the three osos and Rubia in her red cowgirl boots contributes to the lighthearted humor. All pedagogy should be this palatable. (glossary) (Picture book. 3-7)

School Library Journal (Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

PreS-K A marvelous retelling of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" with a lively bilingual twist. Rubia makes herself at home while the three osos go out for a stroll. Where the original story concludes with confrontation and flight, Elya's surprise ending offers conflict resolution and friendship. The narrative includes bouncy rhythms and smoothly intersperses Spanish words into the English. This technique helps children use context to determine their meaning. The book will also help preschoolers grasp the concept of opposites while expanding their vocabularies in both languages. Spanish is printed in a purple font, and a glossary is provided in the back. The mixed-media illustrations capture the bright colors of Southwestern landscapes and designs as well as the cheerful tone of the story. Sweet also adds nice regional details, such as Rubia's cowgirl boots and cacti scattered throughout the pictures. An excellent read-aloud for storyhours and family reading times. Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY