The Gingerbread Man

April 1, 1998
PreS-Gr 2-An excellent rendition of an oft-told tale that demonstrates that there is always room for one more Gingerbread Man on the shelves. Aylesworth has done a perfect job of shaping the text to read aloud smoothly with good repetitive phrases that ring true, such as the Gingerbread Man's response to his pursuers: "No! No!/I won't come back!/I'd rather run/Than be your snack!" The text is matched beautifully with an excellent layout and McClintock's illustrations. Using watercolors, sepia ink, and gouache, the artist has created pictures with an old-fashioned look to them, which she attributes to the influence of the 19th-century French illustrator, Grandville. They also are somewhat reminiscent of the work of Randolph Caldecott. McClintock's anthropomorphic animals are wonderfully realized, especially the wily fox, and the Gingerbread Man is a saucy fellow dressed in a blue jacket and hat, with hands on hips and a big smile. The book comes complete with a recipe on the back cover. A satisfying version in every way.-Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

Starred review from April 1, 1998
Ages 2^-5. With a chanting, rhythmic text and vital narrative pictures, this version of the popular folktale will be a favorite for storytelling with young preschoolers. Egielski's recent "Gingerbread Boy" (1997) is set in modern-day New York City, but McClintock's illustrations, in watercolor, sepia ink, and gouache, are traditional in style and setting, reminiscent of some early Mother Goose illustrations. Once upon a time, a cheerful old man and a cheerful old woman in their old-fashioned cozy house decided to make a gingerbread man. A series of pictures shows how they bake him, step by step. Then to their consternation, he pops out of the oven and runs away. Now they are no longer smiling--they are mad. They race after the smiling little gingerbread kid, who shouts, "No! No! I won't come back! I'd rather run than be your snack!" He runs from a butcher, an elegant cow, a muddy old sow--until a sly, bookish fox tricks him and gobbles him up. There is a great scene in which all the pursuers, human and animal, stand fuming and helpless while the fox licks its lips and leaves not even a crumb. ((Reviewed April 1, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)

July 1, 1998
This hearty retelling of the well-known tale is distinguished by cheery, lively illustrations. The Gingerbread Man himself is particularly toothsome and delectable; the animals are remarkably anthropomorphic; and the scenery resembles that of the eighteenth-century English artist Thomas Bewick. With even a recipe included, this is altogether an old-fashioned and enjoyable version of a favorite tale.

(Copyright 1998 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)