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Summary
Summary
In this clever twist on the Night Before Christmas story, a gingerbread boy cookie is carefully crafted and placed on a plate. He was made special to serve as Santa's nighttime snack, a homemade thank-you for all the presents he will deliver. The cookie wonders if he is brave enough to face up to his holiday duty. But instead of spending the evening contemplating his fate, the gingerbread boy finds himself facing two rambunctious puppies experiencing their very first Christmas. Their mischief includes a tug-of-war with presents, leaving a big mess. And it's up to the gingerbread boy to save the day...and Christmas!
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-On Christmas Eve, a Gingerbread Boy anxiously awaits the arrival of Santa Claus and his own demise as a snack for the jolly old elf. "Later that evening/When he'd be devoured/Would he be brave?/Or a crumbling coward?" Two rowdy puppies soon tear him from his morbid thoughts; to stop them from making more of a mess with presents and the Christmas tree, the Gingerbread Boy distracts them by dancing until Santa arrives, then helps Santa clean up. Impressed, Santa hires him instead of eating him-and the puppies get a gift certificate to obedience school. The text, which uses the rhythm and rhyme scheme of Clement C. Moore's iconic "The Night Before Christmas," lollops along, and the spreads of a plucky, icing-daubed Gingerbread and those two gamboling puppies will be kid-pleasers.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In a loose riff on Moore's "Night Before Christmas," a gingerbread boy with a mop of frosting hair lies on a plate for Santa, "Awaiting his fate": "Later that evening/ When he'd be devoured/ Would he be brave?/ Or a crumbling coward?" When two rowdy puppies make a mess of the family's holiday decorations, Cookie puts on a one-man show to distract them: "He twirled and he spun/ Until he was dizzy/ Keeping exuberant/ Puppies quite busy." In the meantime, Santa arrives with a higher purpose in mind for Cookie-one that doesn't involve digestion. Robert's kooky cartooning brings this plucky hero to life in this behind-the-scenes look at Christmas Eve shenanigans. The fortuitous conclusion, which sees Cookie appointed a watchman for Santa's toy shop (and the two dogs headed for obedience school), ought to leave readers with a smile. Ages 6-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Destined to become Santa's snack on Christmas Eve, resourceful Gingerbread Boy reins in the household's two unruly puppies and helps Santa clean up the mess they've made. Instead of eating him, an impressed Santa hires the cookie as watchman for his toy shop. Lively pictures, many cookie's-eye-view, illustrate this amusing (if sometimes halting) rhyme in the style of "The Night Before Christmas. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
"The Gingerbread Man" mixes it up with "The Night Before Christmas" in this cleverly constructed Christmas story about a smart cookie who avoids becoming Santa's midnight snack. " 'Twas the night before Christmas, / And there on a plate, / Was a Gingerbread Boy / Awaiting his fate." Using the rhyme scheme and meter of "The Night Before Christmas," the story describes the Gingerbread Boy's fear as he anticipates Santa's arrival. As he nervously waits, two boisterous puppies burst into the room, knocking down decorations and ornaments. The Gingerbread Boy springs into action, distracting the dogs by spinning on a large ornament until Santa's arrival. Santa and the cookie clean up the mess, and Santa rewards the Gingerbread Boy for his thoughtful help by asking him to come to the North Pole as his night watchman. The rhyming verses are pitch-perfect in their cadence, with snappy rhyming pairs and bouncy energy just like that of the overactive puppies. Bold illustrations with a variety of perspectives include lots of close-ups of the Gingerbread Boy, drawing readers into his dilemma. The supersized horizontal format and capacious, mostly double-page spreads make this a natural choice for reading to a large group, but it would also work well for a family on Christmas Eve. A successful mixture of two classic ingredients yields a sweet Christmas treat. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
A gingerbread cookie is baked especially for Santa's visit in this spin on The Night before Christmas. As he sits awaiting Santa's arrival, the cookie has some concerns: Later that evening, / When he'd be devoured / Would he be brave? / Or a crumbling coward? Then two enthusiastic puppies burst into the room. The gingerbread boy attempts to divert the dogs' attention to keep them from demolishing the tree and ornaments. The puppies' antics keep the cookie's mind off his troubles until the big man arrives. Bright illustrations will hold children's attention as the gingerbread boy, reminiscent of Mr. Bill of Saturday Night Live fame, interacts with the dogs and with Santa Claus himself. Youngsters will anxiously listen to learn the cookie's fate.--Owen, Maryann Copyright 2014 Booklist