Troll Trouble: The Three Billy Goats Buenos by Susan Middleton Elya

It's late summer. The sun is bright, the apples are ripening, and the luscious grass is at its thickest.

But the grass is always greener on the other side of the bridge, and the three billy goat brothers aim to do their grazing on the far side. But, ALAS! The bridge is not theirs to breach, but belongs to a gigante and grumpy troll who lives beneath. What to do?

The smallest goat tries his luck first. He claims that he lacks that certain savor trolls crave.

"Please," said the tiny cabrito. "I'm not sabroso.

Try my big brother. He's so delicioso!

The testy troll lets the little goat pass over the puente and into the green, grassy prado, so good for grazing.

The second, middle-sized billy goat approaches the puento, and the gigante shows his teeth in a terrible grin. Well, well!

"Numero dos! Here for the taking!

See these big chompers? Why aren't you shaking?"

But the middle-sized goat tries his younger brother's line, arguing that he's tasteless, too, and advising the troll to hold out for his larger, more savory hermano to come next.

So the troll rubs his warty chin and invites the shorty goat to come on into the meadow.

Now it's the turn for Billy Goat Numero Tres.

But why's this Troll so grumpy? Big Tres wanted to know.

His gentle eyes noticed the troll's swollen toe!

There is a big sharp espina stuck in his toe! And all good big brother goats know must know how to take out a thorn!

There's a remedy for that sore extremity, and soon all's well that ends well,

NO TOLL, SAYS THE TROLL! in Susan Middleton Elya's cleverly retold tale of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Billy Goats Buenos (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2020), with a slight plot line craftily lifted from Aesop's Fables, the story of The Lion and the Mouse, and with skillful interspersed Spanish vocabulary to spice up the familiar tale and with a nifty glossary as an introduction, most youngsters will find the meanings of the new words muy facile' from the flow of the context.

"As a read-aloud, this bouncy rhyming story, which smoothly incorporates Spanish words and encourages proper pronunciation, provides a great opportunity to discuss kindness," says Booklist.