The Gingerbread Cowboy

by Janet Squires (Author) Holly Berry (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A freshly baked gingerbread cowboy escapes from the rancher's wife's kitchen and eludes his pursuers in this western United States version of the "Gingerbread Boy." Giddyup, giddyup as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man! The Gingerbread Cowboy can run from the rancher, he can dash past the javelinas, and he can giddyup right by the cattle grazing on the mesa. But what happens when he meets a coyote sleeping in the sun?

Janet Squires and Holly Berry retell this classic tale with a Wild Western flair, filled with rodeo-romping fun.

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A welcome change of setting for the Gingerbread Man, sure to find a spot on the library shelf.

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This western-themed retelling doesn't stray far from the original, and the bold illustrations add flavor.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3 -A delightful, infectiously cheerful, Southwestern rendition of a familiar story. Phrases used to describe biscuits, such as -plump as pillows, soft as clouds, and tasty as a big Texas barbecue, - just roll off the tongue. Bow-legged and dressed in a vest, boots, hat, and a big belt buckle, the Gingerbread Cowboy teases: -Giddyup, giddyup as fast as you can. You can -t catch me, I -m the Gingerbread Man - and includes an added refrain, -and raced away as fast as his boots could carry him. - The lively text demands to be read aloud. The illustrations are bold: while the rancher and his wife look a bit flat, and the expressions of the cattle are cookie-cutter perfect, the Cowboy contorts his body expressively, and the coyote is infinitely sly. The orangey-brown land and sparse green cacti convey a sense of desolation, but the colorful crowd of animals and cowboys stands out dramatically against the parched landscape. Berry plays with point of view as the various figures trade levels of prominence. The rancher -s wife bakes, almost lassoes the clever coyote, and later instructs the creature on how to make his own Gingerbread Cowboy. A fresh version of an old favorite." -Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780060778637
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
August 01, 2006
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV012030 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | General
Library of Congress categories
Folklore
Fairy tales
Gingerbread
Buckaroo Book Award
Nominee 2008 - 2009

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