Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires, Holly Berry (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

"Giddyup, giddyup as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

The Gingerbread Cowboy can run from the rancher, he can dash past the javelinas, and he can giddyup right by the cattle grazing on the mesa. But what happens when he meets a coyote sleeping in the sun?

Janet Squires and Holly Berry retell this classic tale with a Wild Western flair, filled with rodeo-romping fun.

Children's Literature

The familiar tale of the gingerbread boy is given a western twist in this humorous parody. Baking biscuits was the rancher's wife's specialty and she was really good at it. But one day she decides to make gingerbread dough instead. She rolls that dough out and cuts it into the shape of a cowboy, complete with boots on his feet and a hat on his head. She adds a belt buckle of spun sugar, then some raisins, candies, and nuts, and puts him into the oven to bake. Expecting his biscuits, the husband opens the oven door and to his surprise a gingerbread cowboy jumps out. The cowboy cookie runs out the door calling, "Giddyup, giddyup as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man." He runs past a horned lizard, escapes a hungry roadrunner, is chased by javelins, and is almost trampled by cows before meeting up with a crafty coyote. As he rides away across the river on the coyote's back, all of his pursuers gather on the bank. The rancher's wife ropes the coyote as he eats the gingerbread cowboy. She then takes him home for some cooking lessons. The large, colorful illustrations accurately present the western landscape. The farmer and his wife wear large cowboy hats in every picture (even while cooking). A fun follow-up story to the traditional tale.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-A delightful, infectiously cheerful, Southwestern rendition of a familiar story. Phrases used to describe biscuits, such as "plump as pillows, soft as clouds, and tasty as a big Texas barbecue," just roll off the tongue. Bow-legged and dressed in a vest, boots, hat, and a big belt buckle, the Gingerbread Cowboy teases: "Giddyup, giddyup as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man" and includes an added refrain, "and raced away as fast as his boots could carry him." The lively text demands to be read aloud. The illustrations are bold: while the rancher and his wife look a bit flat, and the expressions of the cattle are cookie-cutter perfect, the Cowboy contorts his body expressively, and the coyote is infinitely sly. The orangey-brown land and sparse green cacti convey a sense of desolation, but the colorful crowd of animals and cowboys stands out dramatically against the parched landscape. Berry plays with point of view as the various figures trade levels of prominence. The rancher's wife bakes, almost lassoes the clever coyote, and later instructs the creature on how to make his own Gingerbread Cowboy. A fresh version of an old favorite.-Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

This Wild West version of the traditional tale is sure to delight youngsters, as well as introduce them to the flora, fauna and geography of the west. Tired of biscuits for breakfast every morning, the rancher's wife cuts out some gingerbread dough in the shape of a cowboy-boots on his feet, hat on his head, vest with fringe, big belt buckle. But when the rancher peeks in the oven, the Gingerbread Cowboy runs away. "Giddyup, giddyup as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man." In his travels, he meets a horned lizard, a roadrunner, a band of javelinas, a herd of long-horned cattle, some cowboys and finally, the coyote, who offers to ferry him across the river. Berry's warm palette perfectly suits the desert scenery. Her illustrations give readers a close-up view of many lesser-known animals and plants. A welcome change of setting for the Gingerbread Man, sure to find a spot on the library shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)

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