My kids (ages 4 and 6) picked this book out at the library in October and it became an instant favorite in our house. This is the story of an out of the ordinary gingerbread cookie bear who manages to escape his fate of being eaten. At first glance you might wrongly suspect that this is a retelling of the classic story of the gingerbread man. That is far from the truth. This book can be appreciated on many levels. The illustrations are beautiful. The story is imaginative and fun to read – “Bongo the dog loved cookies too (but not in a way that is particularly good for cookies).” The humor is written in a way that it is enjoyable for both kids and adults. The author, Mini Grey, is British which may explain her wit. If you get a kick out of Ginger Bear you might also enjoy reading the action hero antics of “Traction Man is Here!” written by the same author.
When I read books with the kids my mind automatically brainstorms fun activities that could accompany the telling of the story. Ginger Bear could easily be the star of a children’s holiday themed party. The most obvious activity would be to make or decorate gingerbread cookies. Pick a favorite gingerbread recipe or go here to find one. Make sure you have a bear shaped cookie cutter. Decide if you want to make the cookies ahead of time or choose to include the kids in the baking process. (It still might be a good idea to have to dough prepared and chilled ahead of time.) Set up a cookie decorating station with frosting and other fun cookie decorations (sprinkles, candy, etc). Then dig in!
If you want to add your own touch of humor, consider purchasing these ABC (Already Been Chewed) Cookie Cutters to represent Ginger Bear’s friends who umm, might not have been as lucky as him in their escape.
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enjoying your blog…family loves the ABC cookie cutters. Too bad they are on backorder
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