Ginger Bear Read online

  THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

  Copyright © 2004 by Mini Grey

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Originally published in Great Britain by Jonathan Cape, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, in 2004.

  KNOPF, BORZOI BOOKS, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  www.randomhouse.com/kids

  Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at www.randomhouse.com/teachers

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Grey, Mini.

  [Biscuit Bear]

  Ginger Bear / Mini Grey. — 1st American ed.

  p. cm.

  “Originally published in Great Britain by Jonathan Cape, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, in 2004” — T.p. verso.

  summary: After a lonely gingerbread bear creates some friends by mixing up a new batch of dough, he realizes that being a cookie has some major disadvantages.

  eISBN: 978-0-375-98629-1

  [1. Cookies—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.G873Gi 2007 [E]—dc22 2006012240

  The illustrations in this book were created using ink and Dr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant Watercolors, plus some acrylic paint, collaged pictures/photographs, and wood glue. No cookies were harmed in the making of the pictures.

  v3.1

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  First Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Our story starts with a lump of pastry that Horace’s Mum gave him,

  which Horace would usually roll about over the floor and furniture

  until it was deep gray and fluffy

  (and quite a lot smaller).

  But today

  Horace’s Mum gave him a cookie cutter in the shape of a bear to use.

  Horace stamped out a gingerbread bear

  and gave it currant eyes and a nose.

  Horace’s Mum put it in the oven to bake.

  Twenty minutes later, the cookie bear was golden-colored and smelled lovely, and Horace wanted to take a bite, but–

  “No, Horace,”

  said Horace’s Mum, “it is too hot. You must wait for it to cool down.”

  An hour later,

  Horace remembered the cooled gingerbread bear and was about to take a bite, but–

  “No, Horace,”

  said Horace’s Mum, “you are just about

  to have dinner. You will spoil your appetite.”

  Before bedtime,

  Horace thought of the golden cookie bear and he was just gazing at it, but–

  “No, Horace,”

  said Horace’s Mum, “you have just cleaned your teeth.”

  Horace put the bear in a little tin and put it on his pillow.

  It was the middle of the night. Ginger Bear woke up. He yawned and stretched, and looked about for somebody to play with. Everyone seemed to be asleep.

  Ginger Bear had an idea. I shall make some friends, he said to himself, and went to the kitchen.

  Ginger Bear found

  butter

  and flour

  and milk.

  He mixed up a mixture and rolled it and shaped it,

  and put the first batch of friends in the oven to bake

  When they had cooled, Ginger Bear dressed them in icing of many colors, thousands of sugar sprinkles, and candied peels and glacé cherries and little silver balls.

  “And now,” Ginger Bear said to his new friends,

  “let the fun begin!”

  Come One!

  Come All!

  One night only!

  Ginger Bear’s Circus is performing in the kitchen!

  Watch the Acrobats as they toss and tumble!

  Gasp as Strongbear raises the rolling pin!

  Scream with surprise as our Aeronaut is fired from the ketchup bottle!

  The circus was so exciting that no one noticed the shadow looming in the doorway.

  Bongo the Dog liked cookies.

  (But not in a way that is necessarily good for the cookies.)

  Ginger Bear just managed to clamber to safety.

  Ginger Bear looked sadly at the mess. He suddenly realized that he needed to find a place where a cookie could be safe.

  When Horace awoke the next morning, he reached for the tin that had contained the little cookie bear,

  but all he found was crumbs and a card that looked familiar.

  The life of a cookie is usually short and sweet, but Ginger Bear has found somewhere safe to be.

  Ginger Bear is in the pastry-shop display. Some of it is cardboard, covered in icing; some of it is plaster. It looks delicious, but it can never be eaten.

  The display changes through the year– but every day Ginger Bear is the star. And every night … who knows?

  Dedicated to

  Jo

  (and to cookie lovers everywhere)

  MINI GREY studied art and then worked as a theater designer and elementary school teacher before devoting full time to writing and illustrating picture books. Some of her many awards include the Kate Greenaway Medal for The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Picture Book Award for Traction Man Is Here! She lives in Oxford, England, with her partner, Tony, their son, Herbie, and her cat, Bonzetta.

 

 

  Mini Grey, Ginger Bear

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