It's all a lark in this quick and simple version of the tale--at least until someone gets eaten. Rodriguez retains the fugitive cookie's traditional refrain but casts the rest of the narrative in simple, noncumulative prose: "The horse joined in the chase. The gingerbread man laughed and laughed, until he came to a river." In the cartoon illustrations, everyone involved in the chase dashes along smiling--the gingerbread man even delivers Bronx cheers to his pursuers--until, at the end, the fox climbs out of the river and flips the horrified homunculus into his maw. The repetition in more extended renditions of the story make for stronger, more rhythmic read-alouds, but newly independent readers should trot through this one with nary a stumbleand find for reward a mouthwatering recipe at the end. As in her wordless confections (The Chicken Thief, 2010, etc.), Rodriguez' illustrations yield amusing, attention-rewarding details: the sunbathing cow with shades and sunscreen, the oven-mitted old woman, the horse reading quietly at the bottom of the hill--and the heap that results when cow, pig and humans fall on top of it. Not the most flavorsome retelling, but worth a nibble. (Picture book folk tale. 4-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

It's no secret that Rodriguez loves a good chase-look no further than The Chicken Thief and its sequels-so the story of the Gingerbread Man is an ideal choice for her. There's nothing particularly notable about the retelling itself ("Once upon a time, a little old woman and a little old man lived in a cottage. One day the little old woman made a gingerbread man"). The story's charms lie entirely in the artwork, which features all the drama, expressive characters, and mischievousness that Rodriguez's fans have come to expect. Rodriguez seeds her spreads with humorous details: a cow that joins the chase is seen sunbathing when the Gingerbread Man runs past, swinging past on the cow's tail; the "little old woman" never takes off her oven mitts and apron. The only happy ending belongs to the fox (another Rodriguez specialty), who offers to help the Gingerbread Man cross the river-the last readers see of the Gingerbread Man, he is headed straight for the fox's gaping jaws, a look of alarm on his face. A gingerbread cookie recipe is included. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 2-A retelling of the classic tale of a cookie come to life who is chased through the countryside after escaping from his human baker. As he runs away, he passes some very stylish animals, all of whom want to eat him. His route takes him past an aviator pig, a sun-bathing cow, a studious horse, and, finally, a clever fox who tricks him into taking a ride across the river and, well, you know.. An easy recipe for a gingerbread man follows with a warning to watch that he doesn't jump off the cookie sheet. The familiar tale is given new life with the clever and heartwarming illustrations Rodriguez has come to be known for. Fans of her "Chicken and Fox" (Enchanted Lion) wordless picture books will delight in this rendition of the tale. Her anthropomorphized animals enchant readers with their quirky costumes and exaggerated expressions, and youngsters will enjoy uncovering hidden "treasures" while lingering over the artwork. A surefire winner.-C. J. Connor, Campbell County Public Library, Cold Spring, KY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.