The Gingerbread Man Loose at The Zoo

by Laura Murray, Mike Lowery (Illustrator)

Overview

When the Gingerbread Man is loose at the zoo, he has to be careful not to end up as an animal's lunch!

Is there anything more fun than a class trip to the zoo? The Gingerbread Man and his classmates don’t think so, and they get to solve riddles on a WILD scavenger hunt. They meet giraffes, monkeys, and even a fox (especially scary for a Gingerbread Man!).
 
But a zoo full of critters is a tricky place for a tasty cookie—even a very fast one—and the Gingerbread Man ends up separated from his friends. He needs to solve all of the riddles to catch up with his class and help someone else who is lost.
 
I’ll be a detective. I know that I can!
I’ll solve all these clues. I’m the Gingerbread Man!
 
Animals galore and a trail of clues make the Gingerbread Man’s latest adventure his wildest one yet. 

Look for all of this hilarious Gingerbread Man's adventures: The Gingerbread Man Loose at School, The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck, The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas, The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo, and The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399168673
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/23/2016
Series:	The Gingerbread Man Is Loose , #4
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	641,739
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laura was a teacher before becoming a writer, and had to deal with many an escaped Gingerbread Man in her time. She lives in McLean, Virginia.

Mike Lowery's work has been seen in galleries and publications across the globe. He is Professor of Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta.

Editorial Reviews

07/04/2016
In his fourth picture book, Murray’s Gingerbread Man accompanies his human classmates to the zoo, where they decode clues to identify various animals. Unfortunately, some creatures find the fast-moving cookie to be a tempting treat, including a giraffe with an equally quick tongue: “My classmates were busily reading clue two./ Oh, no, I cried out. She’s beginning to chew!” After a few narrow escapes, the Gingerbread Man comes out on top by reuniting a lost kangaroo joey with its mother. Zingy rhymes and cartooning make this a high-stakes, high-energy readaloud. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt Zacker Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Lilla Rogers Studio. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Zingy rhymes and cartooning make this a high-stakes, high-energy readaloud."—Publishers Weekly

"Murray and Lowery’s consistently winning recipe includes bouncy, ear-pleasing rhymes and spry, varied illustrations."—Horn Book

"Young readers will pick up on the rhythm of the text quickly and are sure to start clapping and dancing along to the beat, which makes it a great read-aloud choice."—School Library Journal

“A delicious outing for one and all.”—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

08/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—The Gingerbread Man is loose once more, this time accompanying his class to the zoo. Following the established formula of upbeat rhyming text and cartoon panel illustrations, the plot involves a lost kangaroo joey that is saved by the Gingerbread Man, but the real joy of the book is following the cookie as he meets different animals. Young readers will pick up on the rhythm of the text quickly and are sure to start clapping and dancing along to the beat, which makes it a great read-aloud choice. The text also includes riddles about different animals, which are well placed in relation to page turns, so that readers have a chance to solve the riddles before the answers are revealed. The animals are illustrated in bright colors and with friendly faces that match the active tone. Fans of graphic novels will appreciate the panel illustration format, text boxes, and speech bubbles. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase, especially for libraries with active storytime or read-aloud programs.—Celia Dillon, The Brearley School, New York

School Library Journal

2016-06-01
Back for a fourth adventure, this smart cookie cavorts across the zoo, where many animals are ready for a nibble.The Gingerbread Man's class is on a field trip. The teacher has prepared a scavenger hunt of riddles to lead them to many different animals in the zoo. The first one poses: "I'm spotted. I'm gentle. / I'm tall as a tree. A branch full of leaves is / the best snack for me. / I have a new baby, / and she is my calf." "AH-HA!" the class shouts; the answer is…(dramatic page turn included)…"GIRAFFE!" But just when the Gingerbread Man is about to read the next clue, the giraffe's long tongue curls around him and lifts him up for a quick munch. The class goes on ahead, leaving the cookie in peril. Luckily he escapes, but the class is long gone. He must answer the rest of the riddles in order to find them. Alas, Murray only includes two more full riddles for readers to guess (plus an extra, non-zoo-related one at the end), but he does mention the many animals that the Gingerbread Man finds…even a certain sly fox, which the cookie instinctively knows to avoid. Lowery has always been careful to incorporate many races and ethnicities; this adventure does not stray from that practice. A delicious outing for one and all. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews