The Bruce Swap | Read Aloud for Kids

The Bruce Swap by Ryan T. Higgins
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Bruce is a bear who struggles with fun. When Bruce says no to fun one too many times, Nibbs, Thistle, and Rupert secretly wish Bruce was more fun. And the geese secretly wish for sandwiches. The next morning, all their wishes come true. Bruce is cheerful. Bruce is adventurous. Bruce has pizzazz . . . and a basket of sandwiches. Except Bruce is not exactly Bruce. He’s Kevin, Bruce’s fun cousin. Nobody knows that Bruce has gone fishing. Nobody knows that Kevin is coming. Nobody even knows who Kevin is. But, everyone quickly learns one thing: Kevin LOVES fun. Is it possible that too much fun is no fun at all?
Ryan T. Higgins is the author and illustrator of the #1 NYT best-selling We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, as well as the NYT best-selling Mother Bruce series, which includes Be Quiet, Hotel Bruce, Bruce’s Big Move, and Santa Bruce. Mother Bruce received the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award and an Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor. As a child, Ryan subsisted on cartoons, cheese sandwiches, and tree climbing. At the age of four he decided to become a cartoonist and he’s been creating his own stories ever since. He lives and works in Southern Maine with a menagerie including dogs, cats, geckos, a tortoise, his wife, and his animal-loving children.
Reviews
"Ryan Higgins did it again! Another great Bruce book that kept my first graders entertained and calling out to the characters. They can’t get enough of Bruce." - Pamela
"My son is a few months short of three and loves all Bruce books. He was upset about bedtime until he saw...A NEW BRUCE BOOK ON HIS BED! Like a couple of the other Bruce stories, it runs maybe a touch long for a younger kid like mine’s attention span, but that’s not advertised as the target age (just something to keep in mind) and means it’ll grow with him. The illustrations are enjoyable as always (cute animals and bright colors), and it’s a nice fresh plot. I feel like it could be tricky to come up with new stories that manage to involve Bruce, his geese, and the three mice without feeling repetitive, but Ryan Higgins does a good job there. I would say this is not my favorite in the series, but probably only due to my bias towards Christmas stories. We gobble these books up, and this addition exceeded my admittedly high expectations for the series. Keep them coming!" - Amnesia Moose