jiastar's Full Review: Catherine McCafferty - Gingerbread Man
As half of a married couple who are both avid readers our hope has always been to foster in our children the love of books. Of the two of our children it is our youngest who seems to have caught the bug more than the other. Encouraged by various classroom incentives she can often be found with her nose buried in one book or another.
One of these books is "The Gingerbread Man" by Catherine McCafferty. In this slim volume we meet an older married couple who sat daily in the park watching children at play and wishing for one of their own. So, grey-haired (and one can suppose post-menopausal) though she may be she the old woman decides to craft a child out of spices, eggs, flour, and decorative candies.
As you might expect the newly born/baked gingerbread person makes a leap for freedom with the famous cry "you can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man." As he runs he is pursued by his "parents", a cat, a snake, and a goose, successfully escaping each in their turn. All seems to going splendidly until he encounters a hungry fox who offers to escort him across a river. I am sure that it comes as no surprise that his story comes to an end soon after.
With the main character being the "Gingerbread Man" this book will obviously have appeal to youngsters who are fans of the character Gingy in the Shrek trilogy. Of course these same children are likely to be bothered or even upset by the fact that the Gingerbread Man meets his demise in this story. This is something to bear in mind as a parent.
All that being said, Ms. McCafferty's "The Gingerbread Man" is a wonderful read-aloud text. It is playful and funny and is full of descriptive words that help to hold a youngster's interest. For newly independent readers, this book will probably present just the right amount of challenge. Most of the words are 1 or 2 syllables in length, but there are just a scattering of words which may be unfamiliar (in print) to children younger than 3rd grade.
The illustrations are bright and colorful and have a somewhat surreal feel. They follow the story and depict nearly exactly what is going on in the text. The illustrations are what make this book. It was the bright colors that made me pick it up originally and I am certain add to it's appeal to my 8-year-old daughter.
The story itself follows very closely to the old folk tale and doesn't really have any novelty to it. This fact limits its longevity in any library (school or home) and makes it a book that will move from our bookshelf to charity rather than to a box in the attic earmarked for grandchildren.
Fairy Tales and Folklore - General Juvenile / Children's Fiction - The freshly baked Gingerbread Man escapes from the oven and outruns all those who t...More at Barnes and Noble
Catherine McCafferty has written numerous nonfiction and fiction books for children, including two title in the McGraw-Hill's Adventure Books series. ...More at HotBookSale
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