Seņorita Gordita (Av2 Fiction Readalong 2014)

Ketteman, Helen

ISBN 10: 1621278913 ISBN 13: 9781621278917

Publisher: Av2 by Weigl, 2013

Synopsis

Resets the tale of the Gingerbread boy in the Southwest, where the scrumptious Gordita eludes her pursuers until she meets a clever owl.

About this title

From the Author

I remember so well  the story of The Gingerbread Man.  I loved the refrain - "Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

So when I wrote Senorita Gordita, my goal was to make my own refrain at least as fun.  Spanish is a beautiful and musical language, and I had a good time with the characters and the words. 

I think it's important for everyone to know at least some Spanish, whether or not it's in your own cultural background, because knowledge promotes understanding, and the more we all understand each other, the better off we'll be.

One problem with The Gingerbread Man is that the main character gets eaten in the end, which can be a bit traumatic for the young reader.  Many versions of this story have been written, some with the main character being eaten, others with the main character NOT being eaten.  I chose to stay with the traditional ending, but gave it a twist which I feel can lead to a discussion about being smart and using your smarts, which I think is always important.  Being smart means making smart decisions.

From the Inside Flap

A Tex-Mex retelling of The Little Gingerbread Man, Senorita Gordita tells the tale of its titular character as she runs through the desert, boasting and fleeing from spiders, lizards, and other desert creatures.

About this edition

• Publisher: Av2 by Weigl
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1621278913
• ISBN 13: 9781621278917
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Terry Will