The Gingerbread Rabbit

by Randall Jarrell, Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Once upon a time there was a mother . . . who loved her daughter so much, she wanted to make her a wonderful surprise. So she mixed up some dough and cut out a beautiful gingerbread rabbit. But she got the surprise when the rabbit jumped up, ran out the door, and escaped into the forest! Follow the gingerbread rabbit and the mother as they run through the woods finding adventure, new friends, and the best surprises of all.

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy, Picture Books, Rabbits, Fiction, Juvenile

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Poems, published in collections such as Little Friend, Little Friend (1945), of American poet and critic Randall Jarrell concern war, loneliness, and art.

He wrote eight books of poetry, five anthologies, a novel, Pictures from an Institution . Maurice Sendak illustrated his four books for children, and he translated Faust: Part I and The Three Sisters , which the studio of actors performed on Broadway; he also translated two other works. He received the National Book Award for poetry in 1960, served as poet laureate at the Library of Congress in 1957 and 1958, and taught for many years at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. He joined as a member of the American institute of arts and letters.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always hated the story of the Gingerbread Man. I think Jarrell must have as well. Never before have I encountered a retelling of this story that acknowledged how freaking horrifying it is: the unbelievable revelation that you've been brought into this world only to be consumed, the jeering non-empathy of those from whom you plead for help, the panicky escape attempt, the growing exhaustion as you run and run with death ever closer behind you.

Thank goodness this doesn't end the way the original does.



Some of my favorite illustrations were of the Mother: those 50s housewife outfits are not great for running through the woods.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second read. Felt even more fun, and more rich & resonant, this time. A fable for mothers and for children starting school about the magic of love, courage, friendship... and adventure and humor. Love the illustrations, especially of the mother. By a poet; seek out his The Bat-Poet and other children's books, too.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Randall Jarrell's clever story about a gingerbread rabbit who runs away when the kitchen equipment warns him he's going to be baked and eaten. He encounters a friendly squirrel, a fox who claims to be a vegetarian, and a rabbit couple who have been waiting for a child just like him. Garth Williams' pen and ink drawings do not disappoint. There's quite a bit of text, and not every page has a picture.

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I want in a book for this season of little boys. I need more at this exact level.

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a mischievous, fast-paced tale, with elements from The Velveteen Rabbit and The Gingerbread Man blithely borrowed and mingled to spin an entirely new story. In it, a devoted mother plans to surprise her daughter with a gingerbread rabbit, but before she has a chance to bake him, he leaps from the table (having been frightened by the warnings of the paring-knife) and tears out the door. He commences through the forest, pursued by the perplexed mother, and meets a friendly squirrel and a friendly (and deceptive) fox. In the nick of time he is rescued by an adult rabbit, who brings him home to be adopted by his wife. The disappointed mother, having revised her plan to keeping the rabbit as a pet with his own gingerbread house, consults the fox and squirrel on her way home and finally decides to make a stuffed cloth rabbit as a substitute surprise -- so the story ends happily for everyone except the fox.

This is an ideal early chapter book, lighthearted and funny, with witty dialogue and suspenseful, fast-moving action. Garth Williams (illustrator of the Little House books, The Cricket in Times Square and much of E.B. White's work) perfectly captures the whimsical mood of this delicious yarn.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 2 out of 5]

It didn't work for me at all, but I appreciate the lovely, perfect use of language. I love when a writer dissolves the boundaries between fantasy and reality, but I don't think almost any of this really works. The mother's desperate quest for the gingerbread rabbit, her sudden realization that she can make a "permanent" rabbit for her daughter, the rabbit's new foster parents not telling him that the mother is not really a villain. Every decision bugged me. Also, the idea of being born and understanding who one *is* is so deep, and I thought it was poorly handled, without depth of feeling. Not a good story, but a lovely writer.

Open Library.

[Christine B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inventive and witty retelling of "The Gingerbread Man," by the poet Randall Jarrell, with some brilliant illustrations by the legendary Garth Williams. A fun, quick read with some laugh-out-loud lines and nice twist ending.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 Stars.

[Dominick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be described as the gingerbread boy meeting the velveteen rabbit. A mother decides to bake a gingerbread rabbit for her daughter, but the warmth of the sun gives it life while she is distracted with other chores. When the talking (!) kitchen utensils tell him he will be eaten, he flees. He encounters real wildlife, including a tricksy fox, before being adopted by a real rabbit couple. Oddly anthropomorphic world, as evidenced by the talking utensils and even moreso by the fact that the mother talks--apparently without finding anything odd about doing so--to the animals herself. Anyway, this is a slight, whimsical tale, graced with lovely art by Garth Williams.

[Anne Exler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of my Garth Williams collection. Fairly creepy story, great illustrations.

[Alessia · Rating 5 out of 5]

il libro migliore della mia libreria a mani basse

[David Abrams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, in so many unexpected ways. A classic for all ages. And those illustrations by Garth Williams are so perfect.

[Regine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like an old-time fairy tale, and just as odd.

[Kate]

I love Jarrell and of course Garth Wms, but as a kid, the squashiness of the Gingerbread Rabbit was like an accident I couldn't look away from.

[Nicole Szpila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun read aloud! Exciting reimagining of the tale of the Gingerbread Man. No chapters, so we went sections at a time at first and then finished it all this afternoon - kids loved it!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An endearing children’s story, “The Gingerbread Rabbit” by Randall Jarrell, with delightful black-and-white illustrations by Garth Williams, is a perfect bedtime story. Little Mary’s mother loves her very much, and one day, while Mary is at school, her mother decides to fix her a surprise. She makes a gingerbread rabbit, but it is afraid of being eaten, so it runs away. In so doing, it encounters various woodland animals, some innocent and some dangerous. Meanwhile, the mother pursues him in desperation. It seems that no solution can be found, but as with many fairy-tale-like stories, both the rabbit and the mother enjoy a happy ending.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like Randall Jarrell but I didn't enjoy this book too much. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to any of it, as if it was written off-the-cuff, yet there's plenty that was strange and made the whole story feel a little off. The mother was somehow both the bad guy and the good guy, and the two rabbits at the end were . . . kind of creepy. I don't know, the book just rubbed me the wrong way.

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book holds a very treasured story. Written back in the '60s, that makes it almost a class now, right? 'Tis a heartwarming story--children and adults alike enjoy it. Garth Williams' illustrations are an additional charm. Loooovely book!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those picture books that takes 2-3 sittings to finish. It's the perfect length for my 4 year old and he loved it (as well as my almost 6 yr old). It's a slight spin off of the Gingerbread Man story and very fun for children.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute little tale & we especially enjoyed the drawings/illustrations.
Recommend for adults that still love old storybooks like they had as children & of course recommended for today's young children.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gingerbread rabbit comes to life. Not super original but it was a cute story.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Guess it all turned out well. (My sister knit elephants for her kids first days of school.)

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another take on the gingerbread boy story, a little longer but is enjoyed by first graders

[Keeko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great suspense, funny, and warm-hearted. I've been a fan of Garth Williams' illustrations since I was a little girl reading "The Little House in the Big Woods" series. A very good read!

[Kimberly Souza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story and beautiful illustrations.