The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School

November 13, 2017
In his fifth outing, Murray’s Gingerbread Man—now fully integrated into the school where he was originally on the loose—goes from being chased to doing the chasing after a rascally leprechaun shows up on the scene on a “mess-making spree.” The Gingerbread Man and the other students follow a trail of clues to find the leprechaun, eventually setting up a Rube Goldberg–style trap that thwarts the creature’s plans to trash the school (“With a glint in his eye, he skipped through the door,/ not noticing glue that was spread on the floor”). Lowery tracks the unfolding action in commotion-filled panels and spreads, and Murray’s punchy rhymes deliver a energetic chase with a St. Patrick’s Day twist. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Lilla Rogers Studio.

December 1, 2017
Murray and Lowery's cookie main character is back, this time doing his best to foil a March prankster."FO-FIDDLEY-FEE! / You can't catch me! / For I'm on a leprechaun / mess-making spree!" With this announcement, the tiny, green-suited imp dashes away, a trail of shamrocks in his wake. He also leaves notes on green paper: clues that the Gingerbread Man helps the kids decode and that lead the class on a hunt for the mischief-maker. Together they put the music room to rights, but then the kids head to lunch, and the cookie takes up the hunt alone. The leprechaun's next target is the library, where he accidentally leaves his hat. The Gingerbread Man beats the leprechaun to his next target and sets a clever Rube Golberg-esque trap. Trading the hat for a mess-free school, the Gingerbread Man saves the day. Lowery's artwork--pencil, screen printing, and digital color--combines full-page illustrations with comic-style panels. While the boxed text and speech balloons are easy to read and follow on the page, not all the pictures are as simple to parse, though there are humorous details that will tickle readers. The class is a diverse one with a white female teacher (wearing glasses, natch), but none of the humans have personalities. After this test of his tracking and capturing skills, what will the Gingerbread Man tackle next? (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 1, 2018

K-Gr 2-The latest installation in the "Gingerbread Man"series is a festive St. Patrick's Day tale. A sneaky, tricky Leprechaun is turning thing topsy-turvy at school, and the Gingerbread Man is determined to catch him and prevent him from making any more mischief. Following the wee man's clues and the messes he leaves behind, the Gingerbread Man devises a perfect trap and finally outwits the tiny nuisance, forcing him to put things back in order. The final page promises more shenanigans, as the Leprechaun declares that he will be back! With a nod to all of the funny and classic tricks teachers conduct on Saint Patrick's Day (green toilet water, shamrock footprints, and messy rooms) this book is sure to please readers of all ages. VERDICT A welcome addition to any library that has great potential to be a fun and entertaining read-aloud.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
The Gingerbread Man (The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School etc.) may have met his match in a "magical, mischievous leprechaun pest" who's wreaking havoc at school: "Fo-Fiddley-Fee! / You can't catch me! / For I'm as clever as clever can be." Murray's rhymes are creative and amusing, and Lowery's pencil, screen-printed, and digitally colored panel illustrations are vibrant--with added pops of shamrock-green.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)