The Gingerbread Man

October 16, 2023
There’s no daring escapes, treacherous chases, or taunting from humans of any kind in this emerging reader graphic novel series by debut author Murray, which stars an upbeat Gingerbread Man dealing with a wardrobe malfunction. Baked and decorated by a racially diverse group of schoolchildren, the animated Gingerbread Man is proud to be “part of the class”: he poses happily in a group photo, and is appreciative of his humble pastry abode, jaunty pink-striped sailor hat, frosting bow tie, and two candy buttons—which have suddenly gone missing. His momentary panic turns to resolve (“But I have a plan. I can find them. I’m the Gingerbread Man!”) and, in sunny, boldly lined cartoons that move at a fast clip, Lowry (Santa Shark) portrays the confection as he comically retraces his steps throughout the school, employing the boundless energy that made him fairy tale famous. When a student offers both empathy—“You look kind of down. Why are you wearing that very sad frown?”—and two red candies from a lunchbox cookie, it’s winning times two in this breezy summation of the frustration and triumph surrounding a beloved lost object, embodied by one smart cookie who’s also cute as a button. Ages 5–7.

October 15, 2024
The Gingerbread Man learns to fold and fly a paper airplane. The cookie protagonist--whipped up by a class of elementary schoolers and now a member of the classroom--joins the students for a lesson that combines math and science: creating paper airplanes. The kids go outside to fly their planes, but when one student's creation lands in a tree, the Gingerbread Man jumps into his own plane. Soaring to the tree, he frees it as the students cheer. Early on, the story references fractions and the concepts of speed, lift, and gravity, but these ideas don't seem to matter when the Gingerbread Man sails through the sky on his way to the tree, doing loops and flipping upside down. The step-by-step folding directions aren't as clear as they could be, relying on readers' prior knowledge. Still, it's an entertaining enough story, ideal for comics newcomers. Lowery combines his full-page illustrations with smaller panels. In his thick-lined, exaggerated cartoon illustrations, the Gingerbread Man sports his iconic icing bow tie and trim; the students vary in terms of skin tone and hair color. While followers of the series will be happy to see a new installment, the muddied presentation of the concepts outlined in the book keeps it from being a standout. Not this character's strongest outing; strictly for fans.(Graphic early reader. 5-8)

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