Module 2

Folktakes

Eric A. Kimmel

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric. 1993.  THE GINGERBREAD MAN.  Ill. by Megan Lloyd.  United State of America: ISBN  0823408248

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

This version of THE GINGERBREAD MAN is very close to the original story.  The old woman and the old man whip up some gingerbread and then cut the dough and make a gingerbread man.  When he was finished baking they let him cool and then decorated him.  After he was all decorated he took off.  The gingerbread man ran and ran.  He passed a pig, dog, horse, and a cow.  He told all of the animals “I’ll run and run as fast as I can. You can’t catch me.  I’m the Gingerbread man!”   Then the gingerbread came to a river that he was going to need help to get across.  There was a fox at the river that offered to help him across.  The fox convinced the gingerbread that he was his friend.  He told the gingerbread man to get on his back and he would take him across the river.  As the water got deeper and deeper the gingerbread got closer and closer to the fox’s mouth.  Then the gingerbread was on the fox’s snout and the fox threw his head back and ate the gingerbread.  That was the end of that gingerbread man, but don’t worry he wasn’t the last gingerbread man.     

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I thought this story was perfect for telling the original story of the gingerbread man.  It was very basic and got to the point.  The illustrations told the story as well as the words on the page.  I feel you could almost show the pictures to a class and they would be able to tell the story.  It used the repeated phrase that we all know when we think of the gingerbread man.    

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Good Reads review: “Kimmel brings warmth to this humorous retelling of the classic tale. Children love the fluid prose with its fast pace. The illustrations keep the movement going from page to page.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*This story would be an excellent reader’s theater because of how it repeats and most children would be familiar with it.  Most folktales would be good readers theatres, but I think this would be good for your younger kids because it is not as complex as others. 

*This story would also be good for English Language Learners because it repeats and the illustrations tell the story so well.