The Ultimate Guide to the Best Gingerbread Stories from Around the World and Activities

📝 This post Gingerbread Stories, was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with new information and resources.

I never imagined having a collection of over 40 gingerbread man–themed books, but here I am, with that very collection stored away in my basement, alongside the rest of my very large collection of children’s books from 20 years of teaching.

I’ve found gingerbread-themed books in the funniest places — used bookstores, tucked in a pile of discarded books from the school library — but my favorite find was The Lamington Man, an Australian version I stumbled across in a post office in Sydney, NSW.

It all started one holiday season, when my teaching partner and I decided to do a short gingerbread unit right before winter break. It was the perfect way to bring in something light and different while the kids were climbing the walls, ready for the holidays. As the years went on, my collection grew — and a mini “gingerbread stories from around the world” unit was born.

💚 Check here for a free, ever-growing list of gingerbread stories as I discover them — always up-to-date, and always free!

Gingerbread Stories from Around the World

📚 The Matzo Ball Boy by Lisa Shulman
📚 The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth
📚 Snow Dude by Daniel Kirk
📚 The Gingerbread Boy by Richard Egielski
📚 The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone
📚 The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
📚 The Runaway Tortilla by Eric Kimmel
📚 The Runaway Rice Cake by Ying Chang Compestine
📚 Sourdough Man: An Alaska Folktale by Cherie Stihler
📚 The Cajun Cornbread Boy by Dianne De Las Casas
📚 The Cajun Gingerbread Boy by Berthe Amoss
📚 Stop That Pickle! by Peter Armour
📚 The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires
📚 The Runaway Pancake by Whitman Publishing Company
📚 The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst
📚 The Gingerbread Girl by Owen Yearwood
📚 The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup
📚 Can’t Catch Me by Ann Hassett
📚 The Matzah Man by Naomi Howland
📚 The Gingerbread Bear by Dennis Roberts
📚 The Runaway Wok by Ying Chang Compestine
📚 The Musubi Man: Hawai’i’s Gingerbread Man by Sandi Takayama
📚 The Gingerbread Rabbit by Randall Jarrell
📚 Señorita Gordita by Helen Ketteman
📚 The Runaway Latkes by Leslie Kimmelman
📚 Kolobok by Natasha Bochkov
📚 The Jalapeño Man by Debbie Leland
📚 The Gurabia Man by Talene Dadian White
📚 The Ninjabread Man by CJ Leigh
📚 The Ninjabread Man by Katrina Charman
📚 The Runaway Dinner by Allan Ahlberg
📚 The Gingerbread Man by John A. Rowe
📚 Keep Running, Gingerbread Man by Steve Smallman
📚 The Roll-Away Pumpkin by Junia Wonders
📚 The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt
📚 The Gingerbread Man by Maria Alperin
📚 The Talking Pot by Virginia Haviland
📚 The Lamington Man by Kel Richards
📚 The Gingerbread Man by Estelle Corie
📚 The Gingerbread B-Boy by Deviaun Jackson

What Happened Next?

Most gingerbread stories end with the fox eating the Gingerbread Man—but what if that wasn’t the end of the story? These two clever books imagine what happens after the original tale ends, giving readers a completely new twist on a familiar favorite.

Gingerbread Man 2: What Happened Later by Stephen Dixon
This rhyming sequel picks up where the traditional story leaves off. Instead of ending with the fox’s meal, the story follows the fox as he heads back to the bakery and discovers a new passion for baking gingerbread. It’s a fun, lighthearted follow-up that gives the classic tale a much happier ending.

The True Story of the Gingerbread Man by Allen Kitchen
Told from the Gingerbread Man’s point of view, this heartwarming retelling imagines a completely different ending to the classic story. It’s a thoughtful twist that encourages readers to think about the story in a whole new way.

💡Extension Idea: After reading these stories, have students write their own ending to the classic Gingerbread Man story!

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Gingerbread Reading,Writing and Math Activities

Once you’ve enjoyed a few gingerbread stories together, keep the fun going with reading, writing, and math activities inspired by your favorite versions. Students respond with writing prompts, create their own gingerbread tales, compare and contrast stories, keep track of every version they read, and even graph the class’s favorite gingerbread story—turning story time into data time!

💚 Grab the full Gingerbread Stories from Around the World Activity Packet on TPT

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Gingerbread Man Wanted Poster

Looking for a fun follow-up activity after reading a gingerbread story? This creative writing activity lets students design a Wanted Poster for a character from their favorite version of the story—whether it’s the Gingerbread Man himself, the sneaky fox, or another memorable character.

Students choose a character, decide why they’re “wanted,” and create a fun wanted poster that combines reading comprehension with imaginative writing.

💚 Grab the Gingerbread Man Wanted Poster on TPT

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Even More Gingerbread Fun

How Do You Eat a Gingerbread Man Cookie Graph — a graphing activity to enjoy with a classic gingerbread man snack

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Run Run: A Higher Number Wins — a gingerbread-themed math game for practicing number comparison

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Gingerbread Stories Scrambled Sentences — a literacy center using sentences from favorite gingerbread stories

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Gingerbread Math Practice Activities — no-prep math centers covering addition, subtraction, multiplication, patterns, place value, tally marks, greater than/less than, measurement, and number bonds

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Final Thoughts

Whether you read one gingerbread story or twenty, children never seem to tire of comparing the different characters, endings, and adventures. I hope these books, games, and activities help you create your own memorable gingerbread unit—one your students will look forward to year after year.

Happy teaching!