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The Gingerbread Man: a book club kit
Where it comes from. A children's magazine in America printed this in 1875, about 150 years ago. Kids have been running with it ever since.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A little old woman bakes a gingerbread man who jumps out of the oven and runs away, calling “You can't catch me!” He outruns the old woman, the old man, a cow and a horse. At a river a sly fox offers him a ride, and the gingerbread man escapes just as the fox snaps.
The lesson, in one line. Be careful of a sly fox's friendly words.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 2 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Gingerbread Man?
The story's answer: Be careful of a sly fox's friendly words. The gingerbread man trusts the fox's offer and nearly gets eaten. - Does the fox eat the gingerbread man?
The story's answer: Not in this telling: he jumps off onto the bank and runs home. In many older versions the fox does eat him. - Where does The Gingerbread Man come from?
The story's answer: It is an American tale first printed in a children's magazine in 1875, though it is based on older folk tales of runaway foods. - What does the gingerbread man say as he runs?
The story's answer: He says, “Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!” Children often say the rhyme along with the story. - Who in the story was kind, and who was not? How do you know?
Listen for: Ask for the moment in the story that shows it. - Which part would you change, and how would the story end then?
Listen for: There is no wrong ending; ask what else would have to change.
Did you know?
- A children's magazine in America printed the story in 1875, and it has been told ever since.
- It is also called The Gingerbread Boy.
- The rhyme “Run, run, as fast as you can” is the part everybody remembers.
Activity: Draw the story as a map
On one big sheet, draw every place the story happens and the path between them. Mark the spot where things go wrong and the spot where they come right.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- In many older versions the fox eats the gingerbread man, but this telling lets him get away.
Words to teach before you start
- gingerbread: spicy cookie
- oven: hot box
- catch: grab
- sly: sneaky
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Gingerbread Man book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 2 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is The Gingerbread Man for?
It is written at Peabody level 5, a grade 1 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears (level 5)
- Henny Penny (level 5)
- The Enormous Turnip (level 5)
- The Three Little Pigs (level 5)
- The Little Red Hen (level 4)
- Little Red Riding Hood (level 7)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.