Favorite Gingerbread Books for Kids

Are you getting ready for a gingerbread unit? You’ll want to add some great books to share with your students. Here are some of my favorite gingerbread books for kids. So, run, run, as fast as you can. It’s time to catch the gingerbread man!

You can click on any of the covers below to learn more about each Gingerbread Man story or find all of these books on my Amazon page.

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GINGERBREAD BOOKS FOR KIDS

There are many versions of The Gingerbread Man out there. I suggest starting with a more traditional version. I’ve had this Little Golden Book since I was a little girl. It has always been tucked inside this gingerbread man stuffed animal, which I believe was made by a family friend.

After getting the main storyline established, enjoy some books that fun a fun twist on the plot. Here are some of my favorite gingerbread books to share.

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School

When a class leaves for recess, their just-baked Gingerbread Man is left behind. But he’s a smart cookie and heads out to find them. He’ll run, slide, skip, and (after a mishap with a soccer ball) limp as fast as he can because: “I can catch them! I’m their Gingerbread Man!” With help from the gym teacher, the nurse, the art teacher and even the principal, a deliciously sweet ending is served up for both the Gingerbread Man and the children who made him.

Gingerbread Baby

I am the Gingerbread Baby,
Fresh from the pan,
If you want me,
Catch me if you can!

So begins the rollicking chase around Matti’s Kitchen and out into the countryside as Matti’s mother, his father, the cat, and the dog run after the boisterous, bouncing Gingerbread Baby, only to be joined by a flock of goats, Martha and Madeline, a crowd of villagers and more. The Gingerbread Baby stays just out of reach, daring them to catch him all along the way!

The Gingerbread Cowboy

“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?

The Ninjabread Man

“Try, try, as best as you can, you can’t beat me, I’m the Ninjabread Man!”

Sensei makes an age-old recipe for ninjabread. But the cookie escapes from the oven and runs loose! Can the Ninjabread Man trick Ninja Bear, Ninja Snake, Ninja Mouse, and Ninja Fox? In the end, the clever Ninja Fox outsmarts the Ninjabread Man.

The Gingerbread Girl

The lonely old woman and the lonely old man decide to bake a girl this time, but when they open the oven, she runs off like her brother did. Never fear, this smart cookie has a plan to outfox the fox. Will it work? Let’s just say that the ending is sweet for everyone.

The Gingerbread Pirates

It’s Christmas Eve, and Jim and his mother have left pirate gingerbread men for Santa. Jim’s favorite is Captain Cookie, who carries a gingerbread cutlass and has a toothpick peg leg. Jim keeps him close by his bed. But late that night, when Jim is fast asleep, Captain Cookie step-taps away on a daring adventure to find his pirate crew and rescue them from that mysterious character he’s heard about: a cannibal named Santa Claus.

The Library Gingerbread Man

The Gingerbread Man, who lives at 398.2 on the library shelves, decides to escape and leads the librarian on a chase throughout the library.

The Gingerbread Bear

A sweet mom bakes a very special cookie just for her daughter. But the Gingerbread Bear escapes–and runs all over Woodlands National Park! The Gingerbread Bear is quick and manages to escape everyone who tries to catch him. But when a clever park ranger, a few campers, and some wildlife friends all come together, perhaps this tricky treat can be tamed after all.

Catch That Cookie

Marshall knows one thing for sure, despite what all the stories say: Gingerbread men cannot run. Cookies are for eating, and he can’t wait to eat his after spending all morning baking them with his class. But when it’s time to take the gingerbread men out of the oven . . . they’re gone! Now, to find those rogue cookies, Marshall and his class have to solve a series of rhyming clues. And Marshall just might have to rethink his stance on magic.

Tough Cookie

Once upon a time, while Fox was visiting the land of Holiday Treats, a little cookie―still warm from the bakery oven―burst out the front door looking sweet and ready to be devoured. But, as it turns out, Cookie is not as fast as he thinks and when Fox finally catches him, they’re both in for a big surprise: Sugar Cookie does not taste delicious―and he’s certainly not fit to be eaten. What’s an unsavory cookie to do? Is there another option for this not-so-sweet treat?

The Runaway Tortilla

A sassy tortilla, so light she jumps off the griddle, leads an elaborate game of chase through the desert while taunting a passel of critters―two horned toads, three donkeys, four jackrabbits, five rattlesnakes, and six buckaroos. But has she met her match in Señor Coyote?

How to Catch a Gingerbread Man

Do you have what it takes to catch the Gingerbread Man? The famous storybook character has magically come to life and leapt from the pages during story time! Follow along as the Gingerbread Man runs loose in a bookstore with the help of Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Peter Rabbit, nursery rhyme characters, and more! If you set the right traps, you might…just might be able to catch this wily cookie and finish the fairy tale!

The Three Little Superpigs and the Gingerbread Man

It’s time for Fairyland’s annual bake-off! All three of the Superpigs are competing for a chance to win a magical key that can open any door in the city. Little do they know, the Big Bad Wolf also has a plan to win the key, one that involves his own confectionary creation — the Gingerbread Man! When the Gingerbread Man sneaks into the bake-off and steals the key, it’s up to the Three Little Superpigs to chase after him and save the day!

GINGERBREAD MAN BOOKMARKS

Be sure to download these free gingerbread man bookmarks for students to use while reading their favorite books. I’ve also included a couple of printables to pair with your favorite gingerbread books.