Gertrude and Toby Save the Gingerbread Man

i have just read this book with my 7 years old son, the book is wonderful and very simple... my son could read it easily and said it was funny and the two friends, the goat and the tortoise were smart.....he said that the story was too short!! we will look for other coming volumes-

This is quite a fun book that gives a bit of a different view on the traditional fairy tales that are about. The characters of Gertrude and Toby work really well together and can see them becoming even more firm favourites as they move from this adventure in to the next.

This is the second part of the Gertrude and Toby Fairy Tale Adventure series. I recently read the first part to my 5 year old daughter and she was really looking forward to this one.

In the first book we met Gertrude, who is rather brave, and Toby who is a bit dim, and followed their adventures which included a witch with poison apples, a frog princess and some candy pilfering (accidental). In that chaos we saw the Gingerbread Man make his escape, only for in this story to find himself stuck up a beanstalk. There are appearances from Hansel and Gretel in this book as well, which is I think one of the things that kids will love about this book. It's like adults watching a film and spotting a cameo or seeing our favourite series crossing over.

Again this is a delightful story. It's warm and funny, and is easy to read aloud and just the right level of challenging for a 5-8 to read to themselves. As this was an advance copy not all the illustrations were complete but I have seen enough of the previous artwork to know these will be excellent. There are another two parts to follow in this series, and I have a hopeful child there will be other series featuring these characters.

I liked book two as much as I the first one. Can't wait to see with all the illustrations done. My review is really about the same as the first book. . I was anxious to turn the page to see happened next. A real adventure with some very cute "guest stars"! It was fun and spunky. The characters are likable and cute. I've found a new series for not only the library but for my new grandson as well!!

Gertrude and Toby Save the Gingerbread Man
Written by: Shari Tharp
Illustrated by: Jim Heath

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and Atlas Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 2 in the Gertrude and Toby series and it is just as delightful as the first. I highly recommend both books!

Author:
I checked out Ms. Tharp's biography online and found that she is a former teacher. Of course, once a teacher, always a teacher. She really understands young people and knows how to engage their attention. Kids love to play around with traditional story structure such as what you find in fairytales. The author gives kids a playground for just this sort of word play. I guarantee that after reading these books, your little one will begin doing the same thing.

Plot:
We see several familiar characters from book one (the gingerbread man, the beanstalk - no Jack, and the shopkeeper). The beanstalk was an especially appreciated detail because in the first book, the reader only sees the seeds falling to ground. We don't hear anything more about them. Now, the plant has reached its intended (and fairytale level height) and its upstairs tenant (the giant) is creating mayhem by kidnapping the gingerbread man. Gertrude, Toby, the Flyng Carpet (from Aladdin), Hansel, and Gretel rescue him. As in the previous book, these characters are not named and their stories are not referenced. The rescue is full of action and peril and was very fun. Again, there was a delicious little twist at the end

My only quibble was the use of Gertrude's earring to pick the lock. Let's all agree that we are suspending reality to allow a goat to use her hoof to open a lock. However, it is just a step too far outside of reality to believe that the tiny little wire in an earring could be strong enough to turn tumblers in a lock and open it. In fact, I've looked this up on-line and it can't really be done. There are earrings especially made for this task but your standard earring just isn't up to the task. Maybe goats have stronger wires? Ok, I've ranted and it is out of my system now. Wait ... I'm quibbling about lock picking skills not being real when we are riding a magic carpet up a magic beanstalk to rescue a gingerbread man. Maybe I should just relax and enjoy this little gem and so should you 😇

Characters:
The two main characters Gertrude (the goat) and Toby (the tortoise) are back. Their interplay is even better and more pronounced in this book than the last. For instance, when the characters see the Gignerbread Man caught in the beanstalk Gertrude says, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?". Ever practical and slightly oblivious to nuance Toby replies, "Indeed! He is a great climber." They do this sort of thing several times in the book and it is always funny.

Conclusion:
Such a fun series. Read this charming book series with your little ones. They will love it!


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Fans of the first Gertrude and Toby book will be excited about this new adventure, which continues to feature characters from familiar fairy tales. Appealing to children in the lower elementary grades, this book, as well as the others in the series, would be welcome additions to literature units about fractured fairy tales. The characters are quirky, and the text follows a familiar pattern which young children would enjoy.

This book will be a great addition to elementary classroom libraries and school libraries. Classroom teachers who set up reading stations will be able to introduce students to a variety of tales by using this book. Gertrude and Toby save the Gingerbread Man and also come in contact with several other characters, settings and plots from traditional fairy tales. A creative teacher will find a lot to love about this book because there are so many connections that can be made to the other tales. Students can write and illustrate their own Gertrude and Toby stories taking them into the magical worlds of fairy tales and Mother Goose.

I am looking forward to viewing the finished illustrations when the book comes out in November 2016.

Gertrude the Goat and Toby the Tortoise are up for another adventure! This time, they decide to go out and about when Farmer McFarland takes his prize pig to the county fair. On their way into town, they meet several characters including a flying carpet. However, once Gertrude and Toby reach the Hay Bale Market, they hear a cry for help and discover that it is their friend the Gingerbread Man!

Another fun adventure with two lovable friends! This time the mischievous pair meets even more fairy tale characters and made new friends with Hansel and Gretel. I loved the question and answer portion throughout the book where Gertrude asks Toby "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" This made it fun to ask when reading to little ones. Gertrude finds a way to help their friend the Gingerbread Man with a little inventiveness and the help of a new friend, the carpet. Colorful, lighthearted illustrations clearly illustrate the action and each page and round out the story.

Gertrude the goat, and Toby the turtle are best friend. In this second book in the series they try to help the Gingerbread Man, who is being kept in a cage by a giant who lives up in an also giant vine. They count with the help of a flying carpet, and also Hansel and Gretel.

This book is very humorous with that kind of humor that includes as much ingenuity as absurdity. The presence of so many characters from fairy tales gives it an air of surreal too. Addressed to kids who are leveling up from the "early readers" step, the story would work great ether if it is read by or to the kid. Since I read an ARC copy, many of the illustrations were still in the sketch stage, but all of them, finished and unfinished, look really funny, with expressive characters and only the necessary details.