A Feminist Take on the Billy Goats Gruff

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a fun and easy story for young children to learn with a repetitive structure and dialogue. The ending is satisfying without being gory with the bullying troll dumped in the river. The Little Blue Bridge by Brenda Maier gives the story a contemporary spin and adds a flavor of Little Red Hen's work ethic. Creative young Ruby is the youngest. When she spies blueberries for making a pie Oscar Lee, Rodrigo and José say she is too little to come along. They are stopped by Santiago, a bully in possession of the bridge and the story reverts to the pattern and language of the Billy Goats Gruff with Santiago wanting their snacks until Ruby subverts him by building her own bridge. Santiago falls in the water, helps Ruby, and then joins the group in following Ruby's instructions to gather berries for a pie. But not until standing up for Ruby when the others ask if they can cross the new bridge. "Ask her!" he says, since she built the bridge and is now in charge. This would be a great addition to a folktale study or to recommend to readers familiar with the Billy Goats Gruff.