The Gingerbread Boy: Level 2

"The Gingerbread Boy" is a Level 2 book. This means that there are "[m]ore words and longer sentences for children just beginning to read on their own". And unlike some other beginning readers, this one actually seems to be at the appropriate level for a new reader. The words and sentence structure are simple and the pictures provide plenty of clues as to what is going on. The hardest words in this book are: woman, children, farmer and heavy. Because of the repetition however children get used to these words pretty quickly. The artwork is simple and colorful and both of my children liked this book (boy and girl; 3 and 5) and have asked to have it read over and over. Since my daughter is*just* beginning to read she couldn't read this Level 2 book herself. Basically the only problem she had was that there were more sentences than she was used to. We overcame this minor difficulty by taking turns reading, and I don't think it will be long until she can do it all on her own. An example of text follows so you can judge for yourself. The little gingerbread boy ran on and on. He ran past a cow. "Stop! Stop!" said the cow. But the little gingerbread boy said: "I have run away from a little old woman and a little old man. I can run away from you-I can!" Four Stars. Ms. Ziefert is an early education expert with actual teaching experience so that the book is on the level it claims to be. The story is a classic that children enjoy reading over and over, and unlike some other readers, this one doesn't suffer from overly simplified language. A Good buy.

As a librarian, I found this version of Gingerbread Boy the most attractive for the ESL kids. The adventures of the Gingerbread boy sounded simple, but impressive to kids aged 4-6. The boy ran and ran and the young readers read and read through the pages of sharp expressions of the faces and the gestures of the old woman, horse or even fox and follow the lines of repetitive, brief words in English. Though the face of the boy is distinctively plain, the young readers simply put themselves into this little plain boy.... My kids request me to read it over and over, and then they read it over themselves. If you have a wonder about "What is reading interest of kids?", this reading experience is rich in answer. In particular, in those Asian areas where "reading with and for the kids" is not a popular practice, this is a good start....ideal for "reading for fun" or "learning for fun" programmes. I highly recommend this book to the parents, librarians and teachers (ESL teachers in particular)