1. BibliographyKimmel, Eric. 1993. The Gingerbread Man. Ill. by Megan Lloyd. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 9780823408245
2. Plot Summary
An old woman and an old man bake a gingerbread man, but as they are putting on his last peppermint button, the gingerbread leaps up and runs out the door shouting, “I’ll run and run as fast as I can. You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man!” The gingerbread man continues running down the road. As he passes an old sow, a dog, a horse and a cow, he repeats his chant. When he comes to a river, he meets a sly fox who offers to help him across the river. The fox tricks the gingerbread man into climbing further and further up his back until the gingerbread is “snapped up...in one bite.” The story ends on a positive note by stating, “But don’t be sad, for that wasn’t the end of the gingerbread man.” The rhyme that follows states that gingerbread men return when someone bakes more gingerbread.
3. Critical Analysis
Kimmel’s retelling of the familiar tale has an upbeat pace that works well for read-alouds. He includes the expected cast of characters in the well-known plot. The repetitiveness of the gingerbread man’s actions and dialogue allow young children to join in the reading.
“I’ll run and run as fast as I can.
You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man!
I ran from the woman. I ran from the man.
I’ll run from you. See if I can!”
The story ends in a recognizable way with the fox catching the gingerbread man. But Kimmel provides a soft anecdote that gingerbread men do return with a positive illustration of smiling gingerbread men and women to prove the point.
Lloyd uses two-page watercolor illustrations to capture the action of the swift moving gingerbread man and his pursuers. The illustrations provide a modern feel to this classic tale.
4. Review Excerpts
Starred review in School Library Journal: “A book that’s sure to hold every reader and story-hour audience through to a most satisfying delicious ending.”
Review in Horn Book: “A fresh retelling of a perennial favorite for reading aloud.”
Review in Book Links
Review in Booklist: “The familiar tale gets a lift in this sprightly edition.”
Review in Teacher Librarian
5. Connections
· Retell the story on a felt board or using simple costumes or masks for each character.
· Compare and contrast different versions and variations of the Gingerbread Man using a Venn diagram.
· Create a gingerbread man and watch him come to life on www.starfall.com. The interactive gingerbread activity is found by clicking on “Gingerbread.”
· Younger children would appreciate being able to decorate and eat a real gingerbread man cookie.
· Other Gingerbread Man stories:
Brett, Jan. Gingerbread Baby. ISBN 9780399234446
Squires, Jan. Gingerbread Cowboy. ISBN 9780060778644
Page, Nick. Gingerbread Fred. ISBN 9781846101625
Ernst, Lisa Campbell. The Gingerbread Girl. ISBN 9780525476672
Holub, Joan. The Gingerbread Kid Goes to School. ISBN 9780448426747
