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Goldilocks

James Marshall's artistry is evident in "Goldilocks," which generated awards buzz.

The bare-bones template is this: A little girl winds up in a bear family's house, she has a good time, and finally she meets the bears.

But notice the life that Marshall injects into the tale. His Goldilocks is not a stock character. Instead, she's a piece of work, a terror; Marshall, always tuned in to deception and dishonesty, points out that Goldilocks's sweet appearance is misleading.

So--for example--Goldilocks nods when her mother gives a warning, then violates that warning within one or two pages.

Another writer might just send the bears on an errand, but Marshall has the three eating excessively-hot porridge. The father complains of the heat; the cub, being an immature bear, melodramatically states that he is dying. (Rational Father suggests a bike ride while the porridge is cooling. This is a nice way for Marshall to begin establishing distinctive characters within the bear family.)

Throughout, you have the sense that Marshall has found a way to entertain himself; his delight is infectious. God is in the details....
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