The Gingerbread Girl

 A wonderful addition to other happy-ending, empowered-girl, fairytale remakes.

On the cover, the candy-studded Gingerbread Girl with licorice-whip hair stares boldly out at readers. Kids won't be able to resist following her inside. 

Not as substantial a story as that of the unfortunate gingerbread boy, Ernsts confectionary tale is, nevertheless, entertaining. Like her brother, this perky pastry, covered from head to toe in candies, bolts from the oven and outruns a farm family, a pig, an artist, a cow and her calf, a dog walker, and some children at recessbefore jumping onto the same foxs back. However, by using a strand of her licorice-whip hair to lasso the hungry creature, the Gingerbread Girl proves that she is one sharp cookie who knows how to turn around a sticky situation. Large, pleasantly appealing cartoon illustrations are set upon pale backgrounds of blue, mauve, tan, and green gingham. Despite the forced rhyme of the protagonists speech (I can leap past piggy/Like all of the others./This story will not end/Like that of my brothers!) and a couple of unnecessary remarks made by the fox ( Anyone could tell by looking at her that she was an airhead), the story provides enough amusement to make it appealingbut not a first purchase."Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH" Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.