BOOK REVIEW #2: THE GINGERBREAD MAN BY ERIC KIMMEL

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric. The Gingerbread Man. New York: Holiday House, 1993.

ISBN: 0823408248

Lloyd, Megan. The Gingerbread Man. New York: Holiday House, 1993.

ISBN: 0823408248

PLOT SUMMARY

The Gingerbread Man by Eric Kimmel was a classic folktale retold. The story followed an older couple baking gingerbread in their kitchen. They made the gingerbread and cut the dough into gingerbread man shapes. Afterward, the couple baked the gingerbread man cookies and decorated them. In the process of decorating, one of the gingerbread man cookies escaped from them, saying, “I'll run and run as fast as I can. You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man!” (Kimmel 1993). This escape followed with the gingerbread man going on his adventure and meeting many different characters along his journey. Each time he met someone new, they wanted to be his friend, but he continued to escape saying repeatedly to each character, “I'll run and run as fast as I can. You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man. . .” The story continued on in this way with the gingerbread man running away from everyone until he met the sly fox who made promises that the gingerbread man couldn't resist, even though he had no intention of fulfilling them. In the end, the gingerbread man's pride got the best of him, and he was eaten by the fox, but the older couple had more gingerbread ready to be made in the oven for another day.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Kimmel's story is a classic folktale retold, and its theme has to do with “having too much pride before the fall.” In this story, the gingerbread man bragged constantly and was proud of the way he could escape from every situation until he actually met the fox who was sneakier than him and replaced his pride by eating him. All of this happened over a short amount of time, since the story had a strong sense of rhythm with the repetition after each of the gingerbread man's meetings and before every new meeting, “I'll run and run as fast as I can. You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man! I ran from the horse. . . cow. . . dog. . . sow. . . woman. . . man. . . I'll run from you. See if I can!” which was repeated throughout the story.

Even though it seemed sad toward the end, Kimmel retold the story and maintained its original style at the same time by adding another new element, more gingerbread man cookies baking in the oven. This changed the story's ending and gave the reader hope for more gingerbread man in the future. Many new parents and their children enjoyed this change, since younger children have been saddened and sometimes frightened by the way the gingerbread was eaten at the end of the original folktale.

The illustrations in the book added to the telling of this story. The illustrator, Megan Lloyd, made the gingerbread constantly active in the pictures, so the readers felt like they were traveling along on the action-packed adventures with the gingerbread man. Within each page, the reader didn't just read the story, but they felt they were a part of it. The pictures captured the feelings and actions of the characters as they were following after the gingerbread man, which helped the reader also have the same emotions in the story. These actions and feelings were depicted by the vibrant colors on each page and the pictures capturing the natural state of the world outside. Through the attention to detail, the illustrator helped the reader imagine they were a part of the story with the characters.

This was an enjoyable new retelling of The Gingerbread Man. Many adults and children would value the happy ending while also recalling the original version of the story, as I have appreciated the changes from the original folktale. They would also like the rhythmic way in which the story was created, because it was easy to read aloud and capture the actions of the characters in the process. It is definitely one that should be read at school or at home, because everyone would enjoy it.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Kimmel brings humor and warmth to the retelling of this Spicy classic. His text has a
fast-paced rhythm that is perfect for read-alouds or storytelling. The deft prose has a
strong narrative, good dialogue, and a fine chorus from the Gingerbread Man himself.
Lloyd's illustrations work in tandem with the text to create verve and motion while
maintaining a ``fresh-from-the-oven'' appeal. Her engaging art works beautifully with
Kimmel's retelling to keep both eye and action moving across each page, thus enhancing
the story's pace. . .” School Library Journal-
 

CONNECTIONS

*Understand figurative language, specifically personification by reading the story

*Use this story to learn about the five senses

*Identify the elements of a story

*Compare and contrast the other versions of the story

*Other books for children about animals and figurative language:

Davidson, Susanna. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. ISBN 0794522513

Mackinnon, Mairi. The Gingerbread Man. ISBN 0794517862