Sure to pluck at the heartstrings of musically inclined young readers.
An endearing, lyrical rendition of a classic children’s story, The Goldilocks Quartet is a beautiful book that is sure to pluck at the heartstrings of musically inclined young readers. Goldilocks can’t help but admire the entrancing music pouring from a house she often walks by. Shy by nature, the girl has always wondered what the inside of the bear home is like, but has been too nervous to introduce herself. Curiosity eventually gets the better of Goldilocks and she decides to knock on the door. Nobody is home but the door is open, so she lets herself in to have a look around. Inside, each bear has their own piece of furniture, bowl of porridge, pair of galoshes and music player. But most exciting are the instruments! Goldilocks tries them all out and finds that the violin is just right for her. She begins to play, getting so entranced with a Beethoven piece that she loses track of time. The bears arrive home and are so impressed with her musical sensibilities that they all decide to create music together.
Appealing to young readers, The Goldilocks Quartet is neither complicated nor overindulgent. Artistically, it is a deliberate and appreciated choice to keep the color palette consistent, with blue, purple and orange representing each bear and pink for the little girl. Though the drawings are simple, the expressions are delightfully animated, clearly revealing a love for music. And I’ll be the first to admit that I probably get too wrapped up in fairy tales and that I am a classical music lover, but the beautiful line at the end, “And they lived Musically Ever After” made me so emotional that I shed a happy tear! A must have for parents hoping to cultivate musical awareness in their little ones, The Goldilocks Quartet by Dr. Leia Barrett will surely stoke an interest in classical music, beloved composers, and the stringed instruments they’ve dignified.
