THE GINGERBREAD MAN

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric A. THE GINGERBREAD MAN.  Ill. by Megan Lloyd.  New York, NY:  Holiday House, 1993.   ISBN 0-8234-0824-8

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this classic retelling of the tale of the GINGERBREAD MAN, the carefully and lovingly baked and decorated cookie leaps off the kitchen table and out the door, ignoring the pleas of the old man and woman who baked him. The gingerbread man escapes being eaten by the man and woman, a pig, a dog, and several cows before meeting his cunning match in a sly fox at the river crossing. This meeting leads to the inevitable demise of the gingerbread cookie, though the author provides a glimmer of hope of an everlasting gingerbread man through the wonder of the baking sheet.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This beloved story contains the classic structure of folktales including strong repetition and rhythm in the language as the feisty Gingerbread Man repeatedly escapes while exclaiming, “I’ll run and run as fast as I can. You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man!” The action moves swiftly as this cookie-man darts from country scene to country scene, running his way to the water’s edge. Lloyd’s eye-catching illustrations complement the story through the natural, yet colorful paintings of the comfortable rural setting. It is as though every creature would be otherwise taking a Sunday nap, were not for the gingerbread man running swiftly across the scenes to heckle and tease them out of their rest. I found this retelling to be such a delightful one that I will most definitely add it to my list of favorite books to read to students of all ages. In fact, I am purchasing it for my personal collection.

4.  AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklinks (A.L.A.), November 1998

School Library Journal starred, June 1993

Wilson’s Children, October 2010

BOOKLIST, March 1993: “This familiar tales gets a life in this sprightly edition . . . A compact text and suitably large pictures make this just right for groups.”

SCHOOL LIBARAY JOURNAL,  June 1993: “Kimmel brings humor and warmth to the retelling of this spicy classic. . . A book that’s sure to hold every reader and story-hour audience through to a most satisfyingly delicious ending.”

5. CONNECTIONS

Create and decorate gingerbread cookies as part of a measurement math lesson. While the students enjoy eating their cookies, read several different versions of the Gingerbread Man folktale. Allow the students to choose the class’s favorite alternate text. Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Kimmel’s version to the other class favorite.

GINGERBREAD MAN versions to read:

Enderle, Dotti. THE LIBRARY GINGERBREAD MAN.  ISBN 13: 978-1602130487

Ernst, Lisa Cambell.  THE GINGERREAD GIRL.  ISBN 13: 978-0525476672

Kladstrup, Kristin. THE GINGERBREAD PIRATES.  ISBN 13: 978-0763632236

Squires Janet. THE GINGERBREAD COWBOY.  ISBN 13: 978-0060778637