This is a sweet, fresh, bilingual version of the classic Three Billy Goats Gruff. In this story, three brother goats put their heads together to come up with a plan to get past the grumpy troll, where just over the bridge is the most delicious grass. One by one, they pass by the troll, extolling the superior flavor of the next goat in line. The last goat, though, wonders why the troll is so grumpy. That is when he notices the troll’s sore toe with a thorn in it. He mobilizes his brother goats and he pulls out the thorn while they prepare a poultice of herbs to soothe the offending toe. The troll is so happy that she allows them free access the the bridge and declares them all amigos.

Susan Middleton Elya (author) and Miguel Ordonez (illustrator) have taken the story to new heights with a mix of Spanish and English and a dose of cuteness in the three billy goats, with their big eyes and adorable horns. The troll is a big, blue and cartoon-like. So, she’s not really scary, even though she wants to eat the goats. The colors are bright and the story flows rather lyrically.

This is a good read-aloud, with the Spanish words in a glossary in the front, containing pronunciation and meaning. The value of teamwork, empathy and friendship will be a great discussion point with the book. Highly recommended.