Gingerbread Man

Meg Wolitzer

. . .McClintock's depiction of the Gingerbread Man . . .feels contemporary. . . . Children will respond to the sassyboastful facial expressions and exclamations of the Gingerbread Man. . . .And they will quickly be drawn into the storyfamiliar though it is. . . —The New York Times Book Review

School Library Journal

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, Louisiana

Horn Book Magazine

This hearty retelling of the well-known tale is distinguished by cheery, lively illustrations. The Gingerbread Man himself is particularly toothsome and delectable, with shining raisin eyes and a delightful set of sugar-glaze clothes. (And his irrepressible smile is as gleefully irritating as his taunts.) The cow, the pig, and the fox are remarkably anthropomorphic, with human bodies and animal heads, and the scenery resembles that of the eighteenth-century English artist Thomas Bewick. Energy and vigor run through the story as every figure is shown in action. With even a recipe included, this is altogether an old-fashioned and enjoyable version of a favorite tale.

Meg Wolitzer

. . .McClintock's depiction of the Gingerbread Man . . .feels contemporary. . . . Children will respond to the sassy, boastful facial expressions and exclamations of the Gingerbread Man. . . .And they will quickly be drawn into the story, familiar though it is. . . -- The New York Times Book Review

Kirkus Reviews

A traditional cumulative tale, which Aylesworth (My Sister's Rusty Bike) endows with a lively pace, is illustrated in a decidedly old-fashioned style, giving the book the look and feel of a reproduction of an old edition. Working with precise pen-and-ink, McClintock portrays the cozy home of an elderly couple, dressed in Victoriana and in possession of a great wood-burning stove. Her work has never been more animated than in the scenes of the two-dimensional gingerbread man running away, exuberantly eluding everyone else—the couple, a butcher, and a cow and pig dressed in human clothes—until he is devoured by a fox. The portrayals of a cow and pig are more bizarre than charming, and the too-obvious wrinkles on the elderly people's faces are one example of eccentric choices on the part of the illustrator. Ages 4 - 6.