The Gingerbread Boy

Galdone doesn't make nice with the ultimate destiny of the cocksure Gingerbread Boy. And bravo to that. Kids are enthralled that in the end, the protagonist actually dies. And doesn't even leave a crumb. Pure magic to read aloud.

I have always loved the story of the gingerbread man! I read this book to the 1st grade class that I was subbing for last week and they loved it! This story keeps the children interested because it is out of the ordinary. It catches their attention well with the fact that the cookie is actually running. I would definitely read this book in my future classroom. The grandparents that make the gingerbread man are very kind and giving people. They never had any grandchildren, so they made the ginger bread man to keep them company. The general message in this story is about possession and to teach children that not everything belongs to them.

The Gingerbread Boy is all about knowing your abilities and that there is always someone who knows something you don't. I liked this book a lot, the flow and familiarity of the story were very nice. I liked the word choice of the story and the build up of the story with it. For example each page he outsmarts someone who adds them to his list on the next, eventually leading him to list off his 6 victims leading up to the fox. I also like the moral of the story and the way it is told. The gingerbread boy becomes so proud that it clouds his judgement and allows the tricky fox to take his pride and turn it into his downfall.

Galdone, P. (1975). The gingerbread boy. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

There was once an old couple that had no kids. The old woman decides to make a little Gingerbread Boy of her own. However, once the gingerbread boy is done baking, it run away! The old woman, the old man, a cow, a horse, and threshers all tried to catch him, but he is too fast. Arrogantly, the gingerbread boy repeatedly says, “Run! Run! Run! Catch me if you can! You can’t catch me! I’m the Gingerbread Boy!” Finally, the Gingerbread Boy meets the fox. Has he met his match?

The Gingerbread Boy has many characteristics of a folktale: a straightforward plot, a brief introduction, a quick establishment of time and place, and repetition. Like many other folktales, it show more highlights the downfall of the proud. It some ways, it also reminds me of Tunjur! and Millions of Cats. In both stories a woman or a couple wanted someone or something to fill the void of loneliness.

The illustrations also enhance the story. It looks like the Gingerbread Boy is running throughout the story, since he is drawn at the right hand corner. If you flip through the pages quickly, it almost becomes a flipbook. show less

The Gingerbread Boy is a simple and direct classic story of an old couple, with no children of their own, who baked a gingerbread boy to keep them company. However, once the boy was baked, he ran away from the couple’s home as fast as he could. During that cross town chase, the gingerbread boy past a cow, a horse, a group of threshers, mowers, etc., all of whom continued to chase him in order to eat him. But the gingerbread boy was too fast for all of them. Finally, he met up with a cunning fox who tricked the boy in thinking that she who was going to help him escape his pursuers. As expected, the fox eventually ate him & the gingerbread boy “went the way of every single gingerbread boy that ever came out of an oven”.

It’s an show more entertaining story with bright and colorful illustrations that definitely adds to the books appeal and raises the reader’s interest. The illustrations portrayed the gingerbread boy’s spirited dash from his pursuers with humor and action & I felt that it stayed true to the culture represented.

When it came to the message or moral of the story, I was not quite sure if it truly had one. One possible message could be to accept one’s destiny & not try to run away from the inevitable. Having said that, I’m not sure if that constitutes a positive message that we would want our kids to embrace. Aside from the message, the story is entertaining, fun, and full of action that would definitely appeal to young readers 3-7 years old. show less

I love this book! It takes a relatable concept(baking) and takes a very imaginative twist that is funny. The pictures are very well done as well. We also learn a lesson in this book as well, to be careful who you trust because the gingerbread boy ends up trusting the fox, but in return is still eaten.

Category/genre: Children's Picture Book
Notable: Folktale

This book is great to read aloud to kindergarteners. The fairytale goes into a story about a gingerbread cookie that happens to come to life and run away from the bakery. The journey he takes has great humor for younger ages. Students will be able to go along with the fiction in the story and have fun doing so. Teachers may expand from the book with many different interactive activities.