Throughout the Advent season, I will be providing reviews of classic books you may wish to add to your Christmastime reading collection! Christmas is a celebration of the coming of our Savior into the world! We focus on it. However, I also used to read many of the winter classics to the children during this time. The Gingerbread Man was one of them and here’s my review.
The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth
In the fairy tale department, let me start out with the very best Gingerbread Man version I have found.
This delightful fairy tale retold by Jim Aylesworth is an amazing version of The Gingerbread Man. The hardback version of the book is absolutely beautiful! It is illustrated in colors reminiscent of the bakery shop in soft browns, yellows, and blues. The illustrations are gorgeous. The pages are not crammed with words but the reader is allowed to savor each page. The story is delightfully retold with repetitive declarations by the gingerbread man that your child will soon learn to recite. Whether I read this to a class or my own children, they loved to repeat the gingerbread man’s retorts in their sassiest voice:
Run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man!
I’ve run from a husband, I’ve run from a wife.
I’ve run from a butcher with a carving knife.
I’ve run from a cow, and a muddy old sow, and I’ll run from you too , I can, I can.
Later, the gingerbread man also replies to the hungry characters chasing him, again in a sassy voice:
No, no, I won’t come back.
I’d rather run, than be your snack.
This refrain gets lots of laughs and smiles from children. Such a fun book! Gingerbread cookie recipe printed on back cover. Get it.
Where to buy: http://amzn.to/2gUq8un
Activity: This is a great book to read to children before or after making gingerbread cookies. Or simply surprise a child with a pre-made cookie at the end.
Giving: This book would make an excellent gift to a needy child along with cookie cutters, (recipe on back of book), and ingredients.
Aromatherapy: I love to switch on the diffuser during story time. Essential oils can set the mood and calm everyone. Here’s a fun recipe:
Where to buy: http://bit.ly/2g6Eclq