Betsy's Bookshelf

Written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins

Bruce is a grumpy bear who lives by himself, and is particularly fond of cooking eggs. One day, however, Bruce doesn't cook his eggs quickly enough and they hatch into four little goslings! He tries everything he can think of to get rid of them, but the goslings have imprinted on him and won't leave his side. As they grow, Bruce does his best to be a good parent. When it comes time to migrate south for the winter, the now-grown geese don't get it, so Bruce improvises. Every winter from then on out, Bruce and his geese travel to Miami to relax on the beach together as a family.

I absolutely love Mother Bruce. This book would be appropriate from kindergarten to second grade. Teachers could use it for a variety of lessons, from family diversity, to fairy tales, and even to a discussion about migration! Mother Bruce's humor and wonderful illustrations are sure to keep students engaged.