The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas

by Laura Murray, Mike Lowery (Illustrator)

Overview

This Gingerbread Man was loose in the school and on the fire truck, and now he’s loose at holiday time! 

Everyone in class is busy practicing songs and making goodies for their trip to town to thank community helpers, and the Gingerbread Man has made a card for someone extra sweet. But before he can deliver his gift, whipping wind and swirling snow come to town, too. Slushy sidewalks are no place for a cookie, but this Gingerbread Man won’t let a little bad weather stop him!

“I’ll search on my own, as fast as I can!
I’ll dash through this snow. I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

With all the flavors of the season and generous dashes of kindness and gratitude, the Gingerbread Man’s newest adventure makes for a perfect read-aloud throughout the holidays.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399168666
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/13/2015
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	716,768
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Laura was a teacher before becoming a writer, and had to deal with many an escaped Gingerbread Man in her time. She lives in McLean, Virginia.

Mike Lowery's work has been seen in galleries and publications across the globe. He is Professor of Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta.

Editorial Reviews

09/14/2015
In the Gingerbread Man’s third picture book, he and his human classmates are busy delivering gifts around town, from homemade cards and treats to songs “with jingle-bell beats.” The Gingerbread Man is eager to participate, but not unlike Frosty the Snowman’s touchy relationship with the weather, slushy streets and legs made of dough are a less-than-ideal combination (“I’ll hobble right over, as fast as I can./ I’ll give my gift, too, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”). Lowery’s use of comics-style panels and the nursery rhyme rhythms of Murray’s verse keep the story moving as quickly as its confectionary hero. The emphasis on generosity and humble, heartfelt gifts makes for sweet holiday reading, and a visit to the bakery ensures that the Gingerbread Man gets to deliver his gift and gains some new all-weather gear. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agency: Lilla Rogers Studio. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"The rhyming text is patter-perfect, with lots of humor and action… A jolly treat with a sweet acknowledgement of the gifts teachers give their students all year long."—Kirkus Reviews
 
"Over the course of this book the students dash around town spreading cheer to community helpers. . . .  Lowery’s festive illustrations of cookie and co. . . are a treat, while Murray’s rhymes are continually surprising and satisfying."—The Horn Book
 
"Lowery’s childlike figures playfully fill the panels with friendly faces, while the bouncy rhythm,
particularly the recurring refrain that riffs on the classic 'You can’t catch me. I’m the Gingerbread Man!' will make read-alouds a treat."—Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—"I'll think of a present. I know that I can! I want to give, too. I'm the GINGERBREAD MAN!" It's Christmas, and the spunky Gingerbread Man is back. Last seen in The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School (2011) and The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck (2013, both Putnam), this time Gingerbread Man and his class are preparing for the holiday season by creating cards and gifts of appreciation. What follows is a class trip through the town to pass these thank yous to the local community helpers, including a police lady, a garbage man, and a librarian. Gingerbread Man wants to deliver his gift to the community helper he appreciates most: the baker who helped the class bake him. But when the speedster's cookie feet meet the wet city sidewalks, disaster almost occurs. VERDICT With its fun, bouncy text and comic book panel-style illustrations, the smart cookies who appreciated the character's previous adventures will eat this one up.—Brooke Sheets, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2015-08-12
In his third exploratory adventure, the gregarious Gingerbread Man scampers through town delivering gifts to community helpers. As Christmas approaches, the Gingerbread Man goes back to school to help a classroom of kids prepare cards, cookies, and songs for their adult friends around town. With their teacher, the group delivers their gifts to a wide variety of adults in helping occupations, including workers in shops, offices, and on city streets. Both the schoolchildren and the community workers include people of different ethnicities, and the adult characters include a female police officer, vet, and doctor. The Gingerbread Man goes off on his own to deliver a special card to the baker who helped create him, and in return she makes him some new chocolate boots to protect his crumbling feet from the snow. Back at school the Gingerbread Man and the kids present their teacher with a touching tribute and a special thank-you banner. The rhyming text is patter-perfect, with lots of humor and action and nicely supported by busy, computer-generated illustrations with the story skillfully integrated in text blocks and speech balloons. The journey through town required a sophisticated design to include all the group's stops, but their travels are clearly conveyed, even including a map of the community. A jolly treat with a sweet acknowledgement of the gifts teachers give their students all year long. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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