The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo

In his fourth picture book, Murray’s Gingerbread Man accompanies his human classmates to the zoo, where they decode clues to identify various animals. Unfortunately, some creatures find the fast-moving cookie to be a tempting treat, including a giraffe with an equally quick tongue: “My classmates were busily reading clue two./ Oh, no, I cried out. She’s beginning to chew!” After a few narrow escapes, the Gingerbread Man comes out on top by reuniting a lost kangaroo joey with its mother. Zingy rhymes and cartooning make this a high-stakes, high-energy readaloud. Ages 5–8. [em]Author’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt Zacker Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Lilla Rogers Studio. (Aug.) [/em]