Hooray for Bread

by Allan Ahlberg, Bruce Ingman (Illustrator)

From the comic duo behind The Runaway Dinner and The Pencil comes a day in the life of a loaf of bread, told slice by yummy slice.

Early in the morning the baker bakes a delicious loaf of bread. So delicious, in fact, that by the time the sun goes down it has been gobbled up! Who eats it all? Well, the baker munches on its crunchy crust. The baker’s wife eats some toast for breakfast, and the baker’s son gets a cheese and ham sandwich for lunch. And let’s not forget the dog! As the loaf gets smaller, slice by slice and crumb by crumb, everyone eats their fill: ducks, fishes, birds, and even a teeny tiny mouse who nibbles up the very last scrap. With lively rhymes, fun illustrations, and an infectious refrain, Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman cook up a tasty tale that is sure to become a read-aloud staple.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Childrens, Fiction, Storytime, Humor, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

Allan Ahlberg was one of the UK's most acclaimed and successful authors of children's books - including the best-selling Jolly Postman series. Born in Croydon in 1938, he was educated at Sunderland Technical College. Although he dreamed of becoming a writer since the age of twelve, his route to that goal was somewhat circuitous. Other jobs along the way included postman (not an especially jolly one, he recalls), gravedigger, plumber, and teacher.

Ahlberg wrote his first book when he was thirty-seven, after a decade of teaching - a profession that he maintains is "much harder" than being a writer. He says that if he hadn't become a writer, he would have loved to be a soccer player. He was married for many years to fellow children's author Janet Ahlberg, with whom he often worked. Their daughter, Jessica Ahlberg, is also a children's author.

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story, told in slices, about a loaf of bread and the many people that enjoy it's chewy, yummy, tastiness until it's all gone!

Illustrations were rendered in pen and watercolor.

Add this title to a booklist or storytime about foods. PreK-2.

[Karen Dransfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story about making a loaf of bread, who it feeds in the house and outside. The artwork is delightful and has lots of things going on. A fun way of looking at bread.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book has simple yet effective language however I think that this is just a picture book to enjoy as it is limited in how it can be used in the curriculum.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slice by slice...a loaf of bread feeds and binds a community.

[Zahrah Al-Merei · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing story about a day in the life of a slice of bread, this rhyming tale contains beautiful illustrations that will keep children engaged, with a variety of things to spot and count.

[Danette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!
4/6/19 Read with Julia, Joseph, & Timothy

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the amazing story of one loaf of bread and its journey through one day in the life.....
In the early morning a baker bakes a yummy loaf of bread and by sunset every last crumb is gone. What could have happened throughout that day to make the whole loaf just disappear? Well first after taking the loaf out of the oven the baker munches on the crunchy end crust because that is his favourite part of the bread.

"The first slice was a crust, of course
the baker ate it early
He loved its crusty crunchiness
And made his hair all curly."

The baker's wife makes toast and spreads it with delicious marmalade. The baker's son is lucky enough to have a tasty cheese and ham sandwich for lunch and even the dog gets to enjoy some scraps of that sandwich. In the afternoon some of the bread gets eaten by ducks and at the very end of the journey a little mouse discovers crumbs left under the table and he gets to have a crumb feast for himself.

The little mouse exclaims, "Hooray" - squeak, squeak- "for bread."

But wait some slices have gone missing? Where could they have gone? This is a rhyming story with detailed, expressive illustrations that are gentle, soft and charming. The pictures match the story perfectly and add humour and wit through their images. The book celebrates one of the staples of our lives....bread! Hurray for bread you will cry as you bite into your next slice, no matter how you dress it up!

[Vera Godley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book that in rhyme goes through the life of a loaf of bread. Combining simple line drawings with a touch of watercolors with the rhyming text the story ambles through the day from when the baker first mixes the dough to when the last crumb is used. No crumb goes wasted and the life of a loaf of bread is a happy life providing substance for many. There is a touch of counting and you can use the book to identify foods.

This is the tale. I'll tell it now
No need to ask me twice
It's full of fun and flavor
And I'll tell it . . . slice by slice.

The book is good though not outstanding. I love rhyming stories for children so that is a plus for this book. The pictures are simple and happy and a child can easily relate to them. The story is one that would appeal to families - especially if they bake their own bread.

I think this is a good book to add to a library for public and school libraries.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy of Hooray for Bread by Candlewick Press in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. I received no compensation for this review.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a loaf of bread is told slice by slice and crumb by crumb in this well-written rhyming picture book. Bruce Ingman’s pictures use an interesting color palette, wherein some parts of each image are pink, red, and white, and others are drawn in full color. The colors give the book an overall cheerful look, which matches its celebratory tone, and the cartoonish figures look a bit like a child’s own illustrations.

My favorite page in the whole book is when the baker’s wife and the baby visit the duck pond and throw breadcrumbs to the ducks. Ingman perfectly captures the frenzied movements of the ducks as they paddle excitedly toward the bread crumbs, and the paint strokes he uses to convey the rippling water are perfect. I also love the illustration of the interior of the entire house at night, showing every member of the family in his or her bed.

If your family, like mine, bakes its own bread, this book will be a natural choice for sharing as a read-aloud. The story will also appeal to fans of Ahlberg’s other books, written both on his own and with his wife, and those who like Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Little Pea, Spoon, and Chopsticks.

[Nayhara Sepulcri · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Hooray for bread’ is a humorous journey through a life of a loaf of bread, slice by slice, from the day it was born to the last crumb remaining!

The text itself is entertaining and richly explores the use of rhymes, alliterations and onomatopoeias. Its personification of an inanimate object is very creative and makes the tale fun and attractive to young children. The use of large illustrations, mathematical language and numbers for counting makes the book appealing to 3 and 4 year olds. ‘Hooray for bread’ is a very positive addition to nursery classes’ resources as it creates opportunities for children to predict the story, as well as to discuss early science concepts.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this charming book that told the story about a baker and his family and how a loaf of bread came to be and then how each slice was used during the day.

Lovely story; adorable illustrations.

Chosen by me at the library for read aloud with the grandsons, July 2013.

Enjoyed by all of us.

[Joelle Mcnichol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a favourite with my daughter, she always chooses it. A very sweet and cosy rhyming story about the life of a loaf of bread, getting made into sandwiches, fed to the ducks and so on. The pictures are lovely with lots of details to spot. I like reading this one.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rhymed text, retro images, pleasant palette, and charming story combine to make a winning book that can be used as text for personification, sequencing, counting, prediction, and science concepts as well.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully infectious anyway you slice it.

[Maija · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite page was the crosssection ofthe house.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warmly composed picture book, not unlike a slice of the baker's fresh bread.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is weirdly fun, considering it's about a loaf of bred.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

food, fun language

[Sarah Stumphf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, never found that one pea, it definitely disappeared well! Fun to read anytime of the day or as a bedtime story.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

A love letter to that western staple bread. Bread which has in recent times come under fire from various people is shown here in all its glory. A well told story of what happens to a loaf of bread over the course of a day, and makes you want to get that lovely warm aromatic freshly baked bread, slathered with butter and Vegemite (as a true blue Aussie would!)
Anyway a decent fun different read.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment. The illustrations were beautiful and the rhyme scheme was good, but it it also depicted a heterosexist world view where the man worked and the woman was a wife and mother. It also repeated the old wives tale that eating bread crusts makes your hair curly and encouraged feeding bread to ducks and birds, which is actually really bad for them. This book would have seemed out of the date before it was even published.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and simple rhyming book, celebrating bread, piece by piece, from the beginning to the end of the loaf. Classic illustrations and a fun refrain kids in storytime will love to repeat:
Hooray -- woof, woof, for bread!
Hooray -- quack, quack, for bread!
Hooray -- tweet, tweet, for bread!
Hooray -- squeak, squeak, for bread!

Themes: bread, picture books, stories that rhyme,
Ages: toddler-1st grade
Pub year: 2013

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rhyming story about how important bread is to each character's life. It starts with the baker, who eats the end slice. Then his wife eats the next slice with her breakfast-in-bed setup. It continues and continues until the last crumb reaches a little mouse who feasts upon it with gratitude. Sweet story kids will enjoy. Highly recommended for Grades K-2.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a loaf of bread. It is a rhyming book that explains the life of the bread that starts out as a wad of dough. It continues with the story of the rest of the loaf.

Illustrations are cute.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the tale of a loaf of bread told by the slice.

Bread lovers will rejoice in this picture book in which the characters celebrate their love for bread one slice at a time. Young foodies are sure to enjoy it.

[Chance Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deranged horror story, if you read it from the perspective of the bread. It has a face! It smiles as it is sliced up and devoured, torn to pieces by birds, wadded up into doughy balls and thrown at the family dog.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of one loaf of bread and what it is made into during the day in one baker's family. Fun and moves fast. Toddler and up.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doubt if my baby (if she could understand) would be into the adventures of a loaf of bread, but I was amused by it. Very British. Very dry humor. Liked it quite a bit.

[talia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just nothing special

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story. I really enjoyed the progression of the story from beginning to end. It was well paced and fun.