The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo

July 4, 2016
In his fourth picture book, Murray’s Gingerbread Man accompanies his human classmates to the zoo, where they decode clues to identify various animals. Unfortunately, some creatures find the fast-moving cookie to be a tempting treat, including a giraffe with an equally quick tongue: “My classmates were busily reading clue two./ Oh, no, I cried out. She’s beginning to chew!” After a few narrow escapes, the Gingerbread Man comes out on top by reuniting a lost kangaroo joey with its mother. Zingy rhymes and cartooning make this a high-stakes, high-energy readaloud. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt Zacker Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Lilla Rogers Studio.

June 15, 2016
Back for a fourth adventure, this smart cookie cavorts across the zoo, where many animals are ready for a nibble.The Gingerbread Man's class is on a field trip. The teacher has prepared a scavenger hunt of riddles to lead them to many different animals in the zoo. The first one poses: "I'm spotted. I'm gentle. / I'm tall as a tree. A branch full of leaves is / the best snack for me. / I have a new baby, / and she is my calf." "AH-HA!" the class shouts; the answer is...(dramatic page turn included)..."GIRAFFE!" But just when the Gingerbread Man is about to read the next clue, the giraffe's long tongue curls around him and lifts him up for a quick munch. The class goes on ahead, leaving the cookie in peril. Luckily he escapes, but the class is long gone. He must answer the rest of the riddles in order to find them. Alas, Murray only includes two more full riddles for readers to guess (plus an extra, non-zoo-related one at the end), but he does mention the many animals that the Gingerbread Man finds...even a certain sly fox, which the cookie instinctively knows to avoid. Lowery has always been careful to incorporate many races and ethnicities; this adventure does not stray from that practice. A delicious outing for one and all. (Picture book. 3-7)

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August 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-The Gingerbread Man is loose once more, this time accompanying his class to the zoo. Following the established formula of upbeat rhyming text and cartoon panel illustrations, the plot involves a lost kangaroo joey that is saved by the Gingerbread Man, but the real joy of the book is following the cookie as he meets different animals. Young readers will pick up on the rhythm of the text quickly and are sure to start clapping and dancing along to the beat, which makes it a great read-aloud choice. The text also includes riddles about different animals, which are well placed in relation to page turns, so that readers have a chance to solve the riddles before the answers are revealed. The animals are illustrated in bright colors and with friendly faces that match the active tone. Fans of graphic novels will appreciate the panel illustration format, text boxes, and speech bubbles. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase, especially for libraries with active storytime or read-aloud programs.-Celia Dillon, The Brearley School, New York

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