Paul Galdone (June 02 1907 - November 7 1986)

Gingerbread•Gingerbread

Today is the 24th anniversary of the death of one of the best authors/illustrators to have created books in the field of children's literature.  Paul Galdone was born in Budapest in 1907 (some  sources say 1914, however the Social Security sources verify the 1907 date), and arrived in the United States around 1921 at age 14.  He became well known for his retellings of the popular nursery tales:  Little Red Hen, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs, The Three Bears, Who's in Foxes Sack? and my favorite The Gingerbread Boy.  Many other versions have come and gone but Galdone's versions are classic tales known for their simplicity and faithfulness to the collected versions first recorded generations ago.
Celebrate Galdone's contribution to the field of children's literature by reading Galdone's version of The Gingerbread Boy (1975) and baking some gingerbread cookies.

Gingerbread Boy

Step #1 - Cream: 1 cup of shortening 1 cup brown sugar 3 eggs Step #2 - Add: 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups molasses

Step #3 - Sift and add: 8 1/4 cup flour (more or less) 1 tablespoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1 tablespoon ginger

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Mix well while preheating oven to 350 degrees
Form dough into 3 balls; knead each one lightly. Roll to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut into shapes. Add raisins (or chocolate chips) for the eyes and mouth. Red hots for nose. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
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Bake up a batch and create a family gift -- cookies for the family, mug from Mom (or Dad), cocoa packets, etc. and add your favorite version of the Gingerbread boy to read together.  "Gingerbread Red and Cocoa Gift package"

• Aylesworth, Jim.  The Gingerbread Man. Scholastic, 1998.
• Amoss, Berthe. Cajun Gingerbread Boy. MTC Press, 1999.
• Cook, Scott. The Gingerbread Boy. Dragonfly, 1996 (paperback).
• Egielski, Richard. The Gingerbread Boy. HarperCollins, 1997. (An Urban city and includes a recipe.)
• Galdone, Paul. The Gingerbread Boy.. Clarion, 1979
• Kimmel, Eric. The Gingerbread Man. Illustrated by Megan Lloyd. Holiday House, 1994. (Variant ending has gingerbread people returning each time someone bakes a batch.)
• Lobel, Anita. The Pancake. Morrow, 1978.
• "The Pancake." In The Arbuthnot Anthology of Children's Literature. 3rd ed. Scott, Foresman, 1971.
• Rockwell, Anne. "The Gingerbread Man." In The Three Bears and 15 Other Stories. Crowell, 1975; Harper Trophy, 1984.