Title: Mother Bruce
Author/Illustrator: Ryan T. Higgins
Age Group: 3-7
Synopsis: Bruce is a grumpy hipster bear who ends up getting unexpectedly saddled with four goslings.
The Low Down:
Mother Bruce has been around for a little while (ok, barely two years) but it still makes me smile every time I read it. Bruce, so grumpy and yet so grudgingly caring, has worked his way into my heart. Surprisingly, as Father’s Day approached, I immediately thought of this book. For though by fate and rather reluctantly, Bruce discovers what it is to be a father in this story.
At the beginning of the book it’s difficult not to love Bruce for his quirky grumpiness and modern shopping habits. Higgins seems to have a grand time poking fun at the recent obsessions with organic and local consumption but it’s all in good fun. And being able to laugh at yourself is important, even if Bruce wouldn’t do it in a thousand years. So Bruce in an effort to create a delicious recipe found on the internet goes in pursuit of local, organic goose eggs. He finds some that will suit his needs. Or, at least, he thinks they will. In between low heat and high heat, the goslings hatch and Bruce is stuck with them. He unenthusiastically takes care of caring from baby to adulthood only to realize, they don’t want to migrate. So, he migrates with them, booking bus tickets for them all to spend the winter months on a warm beach. Bruce reminds me so much of my uncle Mark (totally gruff on the outside, culinary whiz, and somehow ended up with three dogs in his house after years of declaring they would forever have a pet free home). Honestly the similarities are uncanny.
Higgins presents this all to the reader with a unconventional bear, who completely embodies a true sort of grumpy hipster. I can almost envision Bruce wearing a flannel shirt and thick glasses. His expressions are priceless encompassing a surprisingly wide range of emotions from cantankerous to annoyed to crotchety. The goslings in contrast are the embodiment of innocence and remind me perfectly of a toddler. The illustrations never stray from the characters’ profiles but still maintain a fabulous energy and intensity that really draws the reader in.
Bruce not once in the entire story breaks with the his identity of a grump, except maybe to look apprehensive at times. However, it’s obvious how he feels for the geese and instead of turning them out he takes them in as their adoptive father. While he doesn’t ever crack a smile, he still dons a baby carrier, participates in messy play, splashes around in a paddling pool, and naps together. He even ends up changing he residence for a good portion of the year after they’ve grown. So while he doesn’t come right out and ever say it, you know he loves those little geese. Just as I’m sure my uncle Mark loves me. At least, I’m pretty sure.
Story Tips:
- Check out the endpapers.
- Take time to check out the baby goslings antics. They even mimic Bruce while walking sometimes.
I need more!
Mother Bruce does have a sequel: Hotel Bruce came out in 2016 and the next book Bruce’s Big Move is due out September 2017. Check out Ryan T. Higgins’ website for some laughs and inof on new books: http://ryanthiggins.com/ryans-books/
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