"Once upon a time there were three bears." A familiar invitation to a tale familiar to many generations opens Barton's version which is perfectly suited to the youngest listeners. Bright read, yellow, orange and green page-backgrounds heighten the artist's bold, one-dimensional images of bears, trees, chairs, beds and a wide-eyed, wildflower-picking Goldilocks. Sturdy paper stock encourages toddler use as do the short sentences which spin out the age-old repetitive phrases. A version to find and pass along to new generations. (Ages 2-4)