This mostly faithful retelling of the traditional tale stars the familiar trio of goats crossing a bridge guarded by a terrible troll to reach a lush pasture. After the smallest and mid-size goats successfully outwit the troll and cross the bridge, the largest billy goat Gruff butts the creature into the river. There, in a moment of satisfying reciprocity, the troll narrowly escapes a close encounter with a huge and hungry fish. Jerry Pinkney’s trademark pencil and watercolor illustrations masterfully capture his subjects, from charming goats to a deliciously menacing troll. Observant readers who follow the story into the endpapers will see hints of a new community where goats and troll live cooperatively. (Ages 3-6)

A classic read-aloud favorite addressing bullying retold by acclaimed artist Jerry Pinkney.

Jerry Pinkney puts his indelible stamp on another beloved folktale in the same vein as the Caldecott Medal-winning The Lion & the Mouse and the highly acclaimed The Tortoise & the Hare and The Grasshopper & the Ants.

When the three billy goats Gruff are hungry, they see bountiful grass to eat across an old bridge. But the bridge is home to a terrible troll, who is peckish himself, and looking for a tasty morsel to gobble up. In his interpretation of the timeless tale, Jerry Pinkney shows there's little good to come from greed--but in the end, redemption for even the most trollish bully is possible. A dramatic gatefold heightens the climax of this brilliant rendition.