The Gingerbread Man

by Mara Alperin

Crayon markings on intro page, and inside back cover. NO MARKINGS ON THE READING PAGES.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Christmas, School, Childrens, Fiction

Paperback

First published March 2, 2015

Reviews

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr and Mrs Baker lived all alone. They spent their time baking big gooey cakes, sweet crumbly pies and piping hot pastries [sounds delightful!]. Then one day they made a gingerbread man and that is when the trouble began.

Once out of the oven, the gingerbread man came alive, 'Bless my cinnamon stars', cried Mrs Baker and she and her husband tried to catch him. But they could not, so he was free to run and roam where he pleased, with them in full pursuit, and cause havoc wherever he went.

When any of the animals tried to apprehend him to eat him he simply raced off singing, 'Run, run, run,/As fast as you can,/You can't catch me,/I'm the gingerbread man.' The animals joined the Bakers in the chase but with no success.

Then the gingerbread man encountered a more determined and crafty animal and, in the pretence of helping him across a stream, it all ended in disaster for the gingerbread man, even though he was still decrying 'Tee hee hee! They'll never catch me!'

Later Mr and Mrs Baker and the animals went back to the bakery where they enjoyed a feast and the Bakers were never lonely again.

Quite a sad story as far as the personable Gingerbread Man is concerned but well told and nicely depicted by Miriam Latimer.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute adaptation of the gingerbread man story. The characters in the book make funny comments, which made my son and I laugh. The artwork is adorable and guides the reader over the chase scenes using dash lines which are a joy to follow with your finger. I told my son before reading the book that it doesn't end will for the baked troublemaker, and that took away the shock value so he could laugh at the story and enjoy the naughty escapades of the gingerbread man!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic re-telling/ version! Fun for storytime. Cute artwork.

[Karim Elmenshawy · Rating 1 out of 5]

run run as fast as you can you can't catch me i'm the gingerbread man

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun re-telling of The Gingerbread Man.

[Saravanadharsan Premkumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The old lady make a gingerbread man ran way From husband and wife do yo know what it told run run fast as you can you can’t catch me I am the gingerbread man

[Aleisha Froude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has all the main story beats.

[Anastasya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Along with Julia Donaldson's Stick Man, this book is our holiday favorite. Vibrant colors, funny illustrations, short sentences for a first grader to read independently.

[Nea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gingerbread Man is a folklore and usually for children between the ages of four to eight.
Summary: He started off as just a cookie until he was put into the oven. He came alive and ran away, his famous line was "Run, Run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man."

Evaluation: The gingerbread man is fun too many children who read it! The bright and colorful pictures draw children it. The book is so effective because it allows for imagination. A cookie coming to life! Its so appealing because he's a talking cookie, similar to Pinocchio who became a real boy. The quote he repeats over and over again about how no one can catch him resonates and lives inside the child's mind. Even now as an adult I don't forget the popular saying. If I ever had the chance to use this book with my students it would be used around the holidays or a special reward. We would all decorate our own gingerbread men in class. I think its also a lesson being taught. For younger children you should never just get up and run away from home or your parents. Not because people are going to want to eat you but because you never know the dangers of what's out there and other people. The lesson is also easy to resonate with because the author uses the cookie and personifies it. Children loves sweets and cookies so being that the cookie was a little boy make sit all the more interesting and easy for them to enjoy.

[Elizabeth Woodruff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written by Mara Alperin and illustrated by Miriam Latimer. It's a classic story that could be classified as a fairytale. A baker and his wife make cakes and pastries, but sadly have no one to share them with. They both decide to make a cute gingerbread man to brighten their day. When they pull the gingerbread man out of the oven he comes to life and runs away! They go on a mad chase to catch the gingerbread man. The gingerbread comes in contact with a very hungry, cow, goat, cat, and a fox. But none can catch him because he is the gingerbread man!

I thought this book was okay! It has fun illustrations, but the story just wasn't as well written as I was hoping! However, it is a classic so it'll always be popular among young children.

I would use this book if I were teaching a lesson on fairytales. It is definitely a book to read with very young children. I would recommend this book if you need a cute story to read to your young kids!

[Landon Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, as it was a very fun and creative verison of "The Gingerbread Man." Throughout the book the gingerbread man runs away from a bunch of different animals on Mr. and Mrs. Baker farm and throughout the countryside. He ends up asking a fox to help him cross the river, and is tricked and is eaten by the fox. In the end, Mr. and Mrs. Baker had a feast of cakes, pastries, and pies with all of the animals. I feel like this a great book to display or read aloud to the class during Christmas time. During Christmas time, this book can be very fun for students, as the illustrations are very fun and engaging. This is a very simple book with a bunch of different aspects that make it flexible to use in almost any Christmas/winter situation.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. and Mrs. Baker loved to bake but they had no one to share their baked goods with. Then one day Mrs. Baker made a gingerbread man who.... you know the story. But the unique language of the animals and the humor on each spread will keep you entertained reading a very old story. And at the end, after the fox eats the gingerbread man, Mr. and Mrs. Baker return home with their new friends and bake a tremendous feast (but no more gingerbread).

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an adaptation of the old fairy; it has engaging pictures and a happy ending for all but the titular character. My child loves it.

I tend to cringe every time he pulls it off the shelf, though. Everyone in the story agrees that the gingerbread man was in the wrong, but it seems to me his only crime was not wanting to be eaten (and maybe being a little too mocking while trying to argue his point).

my favorite quote: "SNAP!"

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great version of the traditional gingerbread man story, with friendly, clear pictures perfect for storytime. Since I used it as an introduction to the story and something to compare other versions to, I was glad it included the traditional "can't catch me" lines.

[Liz Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic telling of the gingerbread man story.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book about the gingerbread man.