Hotel Bruce

Bruce the bear returns from winter migration with his four goslings to find their home has been transformed into a hotel. The unexpected guests and new management create immediate chaos for the grumpy bear who wants his quiet home back. Mother Bruce must navigate a house full of demanding woodland creatures while trying to maintain order and care for his adopted goslings. His attempts to remove the unwanted visitors lead to escalating situations and mounting frustration. The story taps into themes of home, family, and learning to adapt to change. Through Bruce's experiences, children can explore concepts of sharing space and finding compromise in challenging circumstances.

Readers find Hotel Bruce a humorous sequel that maintains the grumpy charm of Bruce the bear. Parents note it works well as both a bedtime story and a read-aloud book for groups. Liked: - Illustrations convey Bruce's emotions clearly - Builds on existing character dynamics - Appeals to both children and adults - Works as standalone story without reading first book - Effective page turns and timing of jokes Disliked: - Some found it less impactful than Mother Bruce - A few readers wanted more plot development - Shorter length than expected Ratings: Goodreads: 4.29/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (890+ ratings) Representative Review: "The facial expressions on Bruce are priceless. My kids love pointing out his reactions on each page." - Amazon reviewer School Library Journal gave it a starred review, noting the "perfect pacing" and "hilarious visual expressions."

Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins The first book in the Bruce series introduces the grumpy bear who becomes an accidental parent to geese.

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang A gorilla's friends try to help him accept and deal with his grumpy mood.

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems A small monster discovers his true talents when being scary doesn't work out.

The Bear Who Wasn't There by LeUyen Pham Animals in the forest search for a bear while debating his existence and characteristics.

No Bears Allowed by Lydia Lukidis A friendship forms between a rabbit who fears bears and a bear who challenges his preconceptions.

🐻 Author Ryan T. Higgins was inspired to create Bruce the bear after observing his own grumpy tendencies and turning them into a lovable character. 🏠 Hotel Bruce is the second book in the Mother Bruce series, following Bruce's adventures as an unwitting parent to a group of goslings. 🦊 The character of Bruce was originally sketched as a fox, but Higgins changed him to a bear to better suit the story's themes of hibernation and grumpiness. 🎨 The illustrations were created using a combination of traditional and digital techniques, with Higgins first drawing in pencil, then scanning and coloring digitally. 🏆 The Mother Bruce series has won multiple awards, including the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor.