The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck by Laura Murray (review)

In this follow-up to The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School, the Gingerbread Man joins the class on a field trip to the fire station. After he is accidently jostled from the safety of a backpack and finds himself face to face with Spot, the fire dog, things start to go awry ("Spot sniffed at my face, taking one sticky lick./ I needed a trick to get out of there quick!"). With Spot in hot pursuit, the Gingerbread Man races through the station, onto a truck, up the pole, into the dormitory, and through the kitchen. When the alarm sounds, he decides to jump back on the truck ("I'll ride to the rescue,/ as fast as I can./ I want to help, too!/ I'm the Gingerbread Man!") and ends up helping the firefighters put out the fire. Murray's tale diverges from the cumulative format and repeated verse of the traditional tale in favor of a more linear rhymed story as the Gingerbread Man explores the station; the result is entertaining, with the Gingerbread Man's chants effective in advancing the story. The writing is lively and the scansion precise, making the text is extremely readable from start to finish. Lowery's illustrations feature warm hues encased by bold black outlines. Speech bubbles and panels are used throughout, lending a hybrid graphic novel/picture book feel to the story. Young listeners are certain to cheer for the Gingerbread Man's successful firefighting venture as much as they enjoy watching him ride the fire hose "like a rodeo bull." Sound the alarm; you'll definitely want this one on your shelf before those October field trips to the fire station begin.