The Gingerbread Man
A lively gingerbread character runs from one pursuer after another in a familiar chase tale.
A story to read together
The Gingerbread Man
Take your time. Let the story unfold.
One winter morning, an old woman baked a gingerbread person with raisin eyes and a cheerful smile. She set the cookie on a tray to cool. As soon as she opened the oven door, the gingerbread person hopped up and dashed outside.
The great run
“You cannot catch me!” the gingerbread person called as the old woman hurried after. A cow heard the noise and joined the chase. A horse followed too, then a farmer from the next field.
A river in the way
At last, the gingerbread person reached a wide river. The pursuers were still far behind, but the cookie could not swim. A fox watched from the bank and offered to help.
A clever fox
As the water grew deeper, the fox asked the cookie to move closer to his nose so it would stay dry. The gingerbread person moved carefully, one step at a time.
A pause before the next dash
The old woman and the others reached the river too late. They felt sorry that the gingerbread person had trusted a stranger without asking for another way across.
The end
After the final page
There is no single right answer. Invite young readers to notice, wonder and imagine.
Who joins the chase as the story goes on?
How does the ending change the mood of the chase?
What could the gingerbread person have asked before getting onto the fox’s tail?
Make something: Retell the chase using four drawings. Add one safe choice the gingerbread person could make at the river.
