The traditional tale meets the cast and crew of Mother Goose in an original take on an old favorite. From his humble beginnings in the home of “a little old woman and a little old man,” the Gingerbread Man leaps into the land of “once upon a time,” and the dangers presented by its hungry citizens. The tasty treat looks tempting to Humpty Dumpty, who is so hungry that he almost tumbled from his wall. Little Boy Blue wakes up wanting breakfast, while the frazzled Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe is wondering what to feed her children. Meanwhile, Little Miss Muffet is thinking that the Gingerbread Man would make the perfect end to her meal of curds and whey. But he manages to escape them all. As always, though, the Gingerbread Man meets his match (and his demise) in the sly fox who carries him across the river. Throughout it all, he utters his famous refrain, while underneath it the characters he has already escaped give chase. Readers will find something new with each look at the wonderfully detailed drawings. A round window in every other page previews the cookie’s next encounter and—a turn of the page later—offers a look back at the last character he escaped. This is a great way to reconnect children with familiar favorites in a fresh new setting . . . and parents with their children, as they use the recipe following the story to make their own gingerbread men. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 25, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-18822-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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