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Gingerbread Men in Different Cultures

9 Gingerbread Men Stories from Different Cultures & GIVEAWAY!

Posted on March 14, 2022January 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Please welcome my guest author today, Harshita Jerath! She has a book list of gingerbread men in different cultures! We are also giving away a copy of her book, The Leaping Laddoo! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom.

The Leaping Laddoo by Harshita Jerath, illustrated by Kamala M Nair

In this fun, cultural variation of the Gingerbread classic, an Indian dessert, laddoo (luh-DOO), runs away from the hands of its maker. Series of characters such as the kids playing cricket, the groom on an elephant, dancers, chai vendors, and other characters run after the haughty Laddoo to savor a bite, starting a rollicking chase on the streets of India. Sprinkled with Hindi words, tongue twisters, and vibrant illustrations, this story transports readers to Indian streets. [picture book, for ages 4 and up]

The Leaping Laddoo
by Harshita Jerath and Kamala M. Nair

 

p.s. Related posts:

17 Wonderful Multicultural Picture Books About Food

Funny Asian Fractured Fairy Tales

Top 8 Picture Books Featuring Anthropomorphic Foods

Fabulous Food Truck Children’s Books

Asian Culture and KidLit series: Nissin Foods Connection

Josh Funk’s Top 10 Fractured Fairy Tales

Books for Kids and Teens to Learn About Indian Culture

Hindi Nursery Rhyme Videos to Teach Kids Indian Culture

 

p.p.s. One more…

The Runaway Dosa by Suma Subramaniam, illustrated by Parvati Pillai

The Gingerbread Man is richly retold with Hindu mythology centered around a runaway dosa. Dosas are crispy crepes made of lentil and rice batter. My favorite dosa is filled with spiced potatoes and peas but this particular dosa is a flat pancake. Unlike The Gingerbread Man, the children chase the dosa, ending up in a magical land where they meet mythological creatures from Indian folklore.  I especially liked learning the stories of each animal presented in the book. A recipe for making dosas is included in the backmatter which makes a perfect ending and answers the question of why the dosa would be so hotly pursued. Hint: dosas are delicious! [picture book, ages 3 and up]

Interested in Indian folktales? I have a book list of 7 Amazing Indian Folktales.

The Runaway Dosa by Suma Subramaniam and Parvati Pillai

———

 

I’ve always loved folktales. The familiarity with these classics feels like a cozy rendezvous with a dear friend you’ve known forever. The Gingerbread Man story is one such timeless folktale. The story’s repetitive elements and simple structure render it a perfect playground to experiment with different settings. These variations offer an opportunity for young readers to learn about new cultures and make connections. Today I’m sharing with you the list of The Gingerbread Man variations set up in different cultures.

 

9 Gingerbread Men Stories from Different Cultures

Kolobok by Natasha Bochkov, illustrated by Tim Friesen

Kolobok is a traditional Russian folk tale in which a freshly baked bun is bored and decides to run away from the window into the forest where different wild animals chase him until he finds a trickster fox. The refrain is catchy for kids to singalong, “From the dough, I was made, in the oven, I was baked…” [picture book, ages 3 and up]

Kolobok by Natasha Bochkov

The Matzah Man: A Passover Story by Naomi Howland

This story is a fun read-aloud variation of the Gingerbread Man, highlighting the Passover traditions of Jewish culture. In this Matzah Man, a flat cracker-like bread escapes from Mr. Cohen’s bakery and is followed by a series of characters preparing for the Passover meal. Yiddish words are fun to listen to, and the glossary of the Passover terms at the end is very helpful in understanding the terms used in the book. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

The Matzah Man A Passover Story
by Naomi Howland

The Runaway Latkes by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Paul Yalowitz

In this Jewish spinoff, three potato pancakes, called latkes, escape from the pan and are chased by the rabbi, cantor, and other characters. The chase continues until the latkes dove right into the Hanukkah miracle. This story made me hungry for some latkes, and I’m sure it will make you want some too. I appreciated the note, in the beginning, mentioning the significance of Hanukkah and the cultural details. The recipe at the end is a bonus. Kids would love its catchy refrain. “Big and round, crisp and brown, off we role to see the town.” [picture book, ages 3 and up]

The Runaway Latkes
by Leslie Kimmelman and Paul Yalowitz

The Runaway Tortilla by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Erik Brooks

With a traditional opening of ‘Once upon a time’, this story is a Texan cowboy variation of the classic. The haughty tortilla escapes and is followed by desert animals until he finds his match in Señor Coyote. The Spanish names of animals and the numbers are fun to read aloud and provide an opportunity to learn another language. [picture book, ages 5 and up]

The Runaway Tortilla
by Eric A. Kimmel and Erik Brooks

The Runaway Rice Cake by Ying Chang Compestine,  illustrated by Tungwai Chau

Nian-Gao, a Chinese rice cake, flees from a poor family’s house. This story is filled with cultural details of Chinese New Year, and the ending has a good lesson about compassion and sharing that brings the whole community together. The recipe of Nian-Gao and a description of the Chinese New Year celebration are much appreciated. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

The Runaway Rice Cake
by Ying Chang Compestine and Tungwai Chau

The Cajun Cornbread Boy by Dianne De Las Casas, illustrated by Marita Gentry

If you’re from Louisiana and love the Cajun culture, this book is for you. In this delightful read-aloud, the Cajun cornbread escapes from its maker, speeding past hungry animals like raccoons and foxes, ultimately meeting an artful alligator who learns his lesson from this spicy bread. It’s a sweet tale with a recipe at the end. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

The Cajun Cornbread Boy
by Dianne De Las Casas and Marita Gentry

The King Cake Baby by Keila Dawson, illustrated by Vernon Smith

This fun zippy tale where a plastic baby hidden inside a traditional Mardi Gras King Cake escapes until he meets a baker who knows where he really belongs. This story takes the readers through the New Orleans Mardi Gras festival elements. This story would equally excite readers familiar with New Orleans and eager to learn more about this city. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

The King Cake Baby
by Keila Dawson and Vernon Smith

Despite a universal storyline of food coming to life and starting a chase, the cultural details in these stories add a distinct flavor. And next time your family is getting ready for dinner, these stories make you wonder if the food would wiggle-jiggle, come to life, and run away.

 

The Leaping Laddoo! GIVEAWAY!

We are also giving away a copy of her book, The Leaping Laddoo! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below. We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. mailing addresses.

The Leaping Laddoo
by Harshita Jerath and Kamala M. Nair

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Harshita Jerath

Harshita Jerath (pronounced her-SHE-ta) loves writing stories for children. She draws inspiration from her growing-up memories in India and the colorful world around her. She’s a science graduate in Industrial Microbiology with a Master’s equivalent in Hospital Administration. Harshita is represented by agent Beth Marshea of Ladderbird Literary Agency. To find out more about Harshita and her books visit her website at http://harshitajerath.com and her blog ipenlife.com where she shares her views about everyday life, and follow her on Twitter @hjerath and Instagram.

To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

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16 thoughts on “9 Gingerbread Men Stories from Different Cultures & GIVEAWAY!”

  1. Lori says:
    March 14, 2022 at 8:54 pm

    The Runaway Latkes (featured in this blog post) is one of my all-time favorite fractured fairy tale picture books. I also love The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.

    Reply
    1. Harshita Jerath says:
      May 2, 2022 at 6:23 pm

      Thank you, Lori, for sharing your thoughts, and reading the post. -Harshita

      Reply
  2. bn100 says:
    March 14, 2022 at 11:34 pm

    no fav

    Reply
  3. Lillie Pardo says:
    March 15, 2022 at 11:57 am

    As an elementary school teacher, I appreciate this list of gingerbread men stories from different cultures. I am familiar with a couple of the books, and I will be sure to check out the others. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    1. Harshita Jerath says:
      May 2, 2022 at 6:30 pm

      Thanks, Lillie, for stopping by.

      Reply
  4. Donna Rossman says:
    March 15, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    Leaping Laddoo sounds adorable! I am familiar with the wonderful King Cake Baby and will now have to add the others to my reading list. All sound exceptional!

    Reply
    1. Harshita Jerath says:
      May 2, 2022 at 6:24 pm

      Thank you, Donna.

      Reply
  5. Ramona says:
    March 16, 2022 at 8:24 pm

    I have worked with ELL students for 10 years now. Students always get excited when a book is read and the setting is their home country. The fill-in gingerbread books are going to be a must for my classroom library.

    Reply
    1. Harshita Jerath says:
      May 2, 2022 at 6:28 pm

      That’s true, Ramona. These multicultural books make children feel seen.

      Reply
  6. Mandy says:
    March 18, 2022 at 2:06 am

    I have a 4-year-old niece who LOVES reading, and these are going on our TBR list, for sure! 🙌💖

    Reply
  7. Brittany L Brannon says:
    March 18, 2022 at 5:58 pm

    I was obsessed with Strega Nona as a kid! That was handsdown one of my favorite books and I even got to meet the sweet kind Tommy DePaola

    Reply
  8. Janet Young says:
    March 19, 2022 at 5:04 pm

    My students are really enjoying Nacho’s Nachos at the moment!

    Reply
  9. Danielle Hammelef says:
    March 25, 2022 at 12:53 pm

    Lailah’s Lunchbox is one of my favorites.

    Reply
  10. Tina Lusby says:
    April 13, 2022 at 11:23 am

    Thank you so much for sharing! I’m familiar with three of these books and can’t wait to check out the others. I do a gingerbread man unit each year I teach first grade and appreciate being able to bring in different cultures.

    Reply
    1. Harshita Jerath says:
      May 2, 2022 at 6:26 pm

      Thank you, Tina, for reading the post. I hope these books are helpful for your gingerbread man unit.-Harshita

      Reply
  11. Tina Lusby says:
    April 13, 2022 at 11:24 am

    Thank you so much for sharing! I’m familiar with three of these books and can’t wait to check out the others. I do a gingerbread man unit each year I teach first grade and appreciate being able to bring in different cultures.

    Reply

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