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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Bruce Saves the Planet
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BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://ryanthiggins.com
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 406
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1983; married; wife’s name Joanna (a teacher); children: three.
EDUCATION:College of the Atlantic, B.A. (human ecology), 2006.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, illustrator, and publisher. Cocklebury Books (publishing company), Kittery, ME, founder. Presenter at schools; founder of summer-camp writing/illustrating program for elementary-school children.
AWARDS:Wanda Gág Read Aloud Book Award honor book selection, Minnesota State University, 2014, for Wilfred; E.B. White Read-Aloud Award, Association of Booksellers for Children, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award new illustrator honor, both 2016, both for Mother Bruce; E.B. White Read Aloud Award, 2019, for Penelope Rex; ALSC Notable Children’s Book for Younger Readers, 2021, for What About Worms!?; California Young Reader Medal for Primary for We Don’t Eat Our Classmates.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Ryan T. Higgins is the creator of a number of self-illustrated picture books, including Wilfred, his “Bruce” series of picture books, and Be Quiet! Recognized for his endearing characters, humorous plotlines, and cartoon-like illustrations, Higgins has earned the prestigious E.B. White Read-Aloud Award, among other honors.
Higgins developed an interest in drawing and storytelling at an early age. In an interview for Jean Book Nerd, Higgins explained one of his earliest inspirations for becoming a writer: “When I was young and not yet able to read on my own, I’d ask my dad to read me a book before bed. Instead, my dad preferred to just show us the pictures from books and make up his own stories. My dad is a great storyteller and his stories were often better than the originals. From then on, I wanted to tell my own stories as well as read other peoples.” A devoted fan of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, Higgins loved making his classmates laugh in elementary school—as much as possible without getting in trouble with teachers.
After high school, Higgins studied animal science, creative writing, and art while attending the College of the Atlantic in Maine. “After a year or so, one of my biology professors pulled me aside to tell me that, even though my research papers were quite good, they really shouldn’t be so humorous,” Higgins remarked in a blog interview with Jena Benton. “He suggested I keep taking biology courses, but he also pushed me to focus more on my writing and art. Funny that my biology professor is possibly the one who nudged me to become a writer/illustrator.”
Higgins explores the unusual and unlikely relationship between a hirsute giant and a gentle-hearted youngster in Wilfred. A solitary and lonely creature, Wilfred goes in search of a companion. He comes upon a village whose every resident—man, woman, and child—is bald, and they flee at the sight of the gargantuan, hairy visitor. One bold and spirited lad defies convention and befriends Wilfred, finding him to be an amiable and creative playmate. Some greedy villagers, however, decree that Wilfred can only visit if he reduces his size or loses his hair, and the gentle giant shaves down, his fur used to craft wigs for the townspeople as winter approaches. Concerned about the giant’s well-being, Wilfred’s young friend ventures out into a fierce snowstorm, and Wilfred’s dramatic efforts to rescue the boy have a profound effect on the villagers. “Displaying a judicious sense of comedy and drama, Higgins … has crafted a lovely … fable about friendship and sacrifice,” a critic noted in Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal reviewer Linda Ludke applauded the “affecting, digitally enhanced cartoon illustrations.”
In Mother Bruce, the first installment in his “Bruce” series, Higgins “turns classic picture-book scenarios upside down, then wrings them for contemporary laughs,” according to New York Times contributor Maria Russo. A cantankerous bear who wears a permanent scowl, Bruce hates everyone and everything, with one notable exception: eggs. As Bruce prepares a sumptuous meal of hard-boiled goose eggs with honey-salmon sauce, the bruin notices that the eggs he pilfered have hatched, and the four confused goslings consider him their parent. As they grow from babies into teenagers and then adults, the geese show no interest in migrating, forcing the irascible bear to alter his life drastically. “Higgins’ softly fascinating textures, deft lines, savvy use of scale, and luminous landscapes … make for gorgeous art,” a writer stated in Kirkus Reviews. A Publishers Weekly contributor also praised the book, calling it “a droll look at conflict won by the underdog and—in its way—a book about unconventional families.”
Hotel Bruce, a sequel, finds the title character returning from a migratory trip south with the geese to find that a trio of industrious mice have transformed his home into lodging for a host of woodland creatures. When the guests start acting up—a group of possums engage in a pillow fight, for instance, and a beaver makes a meal of the kitchen table—Bruce realizes he must retake control of his domicile. “Higgins’s caricatured artwork delights in the … chaos” caused by the animals, a critic observed in Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal reviewer Jasmine L. Precopio described the illustrations as “delightful, with lots of visual humor for those who pay attention to details.”
Rupert, Nibbs, and Thistle, the entrepreneurial mice introduced in Hotel Bruce, make a return appearance in Be Quiet! Originally titled This Book Does Not Have Words, the self-illustrated volume follows Rupert’s efforts to create a wordless picture book, a task complicated by Nibbs and Thistle’s loquacious personalities. “The giggle-inducing conversations among the characters are fast-paced and witty,” Amy Shepherd remarked in School Library Journal, and a Kirkus Reviews writer commented that “Higgins’ visual puns and artistic high jinks power the escalating absurdity of Rupert’s blithely obtuse sidekicks.
Among other volumes in the “Bruce” series, 1 Grumpy Bruce is a counting book that finds Bruce welcoming guest after guest to a party that refuses to end. A Children’s Bookwatch reviewer found this title “full of fun characters and humor.” In Santa Bruce the curmudgeonly bear, obliged to stay awake all winter to feed his geese and mice, gets mistaken for Santa and must welcome a parade of animals to sit on his lap. A Publishers Weekly reviewer, appreciating Bruce’s utter refusal to smile, observed that “expressive artwork captures Bruce’s gently cantankerous demeanor.” In Bruce’s Big Fun Day, Nibbs arranges a fun-filled day for Bruce, but with too much of everything—syrup, ants, water—the day proves quite the challenge. A Kirkus Reviews writer praised the narrative as “droll” and “engaging” and the art as “crisp and colorfully textured,” making Bruce’s Big Fun Day a delight for young readers.
Higgins was inspired to write We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by his son’s experience of starting kindergarten. Alongside the usual first-day-of-school jitters, Penelope Rex has to deal with the temptation to devour her strictly human classmates. She duly spits them out when she must, but only when an unexpected someone—the class goldfish—gives her a bite does she understand, and she learns her lesson.
In School Library Journal, Lisa Lehmuller observed that “the narrative is simple, straightforward, and hysterical,” while the illustrations are “bold and cartoonish with plenty of silly touches.” In Horn Book, Nell Beram observed that Higgins is “clearly having a ball, parodying parental-advice tropes … while sending the message that fitting in is, although frequently difficult, almost always—eventually—possible.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer concluded of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, “Higgins once again delivers sassy dialogue, flawless comic pacing, and faith in the ability of children to learn and grow.”
Penelope the T. rex returns in We Will Rock Our Classmates. While Penelope is no longer eating her classmates, she is disappointed that she always plays the role of the dinosaur when the human children play pretend. In an attempt to show she is more than just her species, Penelope decides to showcase her rock-and-roll talents at the talent show. After experiencing stage fright during rehearsals, Dad encourages Penelope and tells her she is more than what meets the eye. Bolstered by the pep talk, Penelope learns that her talent does matter, but instead it is meeting the challenge. A Kirkus Reviews critic noted the diversity of Penelope’s classmates, which include “kids of all skin colors and ethnicities.” Comparing We Will Rock Our Classmates to We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, the same reviewer noted that this book “comes with a much more meaningful message.” Speaking of the book’s theme, Booklist critic John Peters predicted that “perceptive readers will understand that winning wasn’t (and shouldn’t be) the point.”
In What About Worms!?, Tiger is fearless, except when it comes to worms. Though he loves flowers in the dirt and apples, Tiger is horrified when he realizes worms like those things too. He drops the things he loves when he discovers worm inhabitants, leaving behind a broken planter and a cast-off apple. Though the worms are initially afraid of Tiger, they change their minds about him when they enjoy the dirt and fruit he discards. A Publishers Weekly critic described the work as “a cleverly meta early reader that solidly stands on its comical feet.” A Kirkus Reviews critic lauded the book’s humorous elements, remarking that “between snorts and giggles, kids will soon discover they’re READING!”
Norman Didn’t Do It! (Yes, He Did) celebrates the unlikely friendship between a porcupine and a tree. Though Mildred the tree never speaks to Norman the porcupine, Norman is satisfied with their relationship. However, once he sees seedlings sprout near Mildred, he worries that he is not her only friend. After transplanting the seeds to an island under the cover of darkness, Norman struggles with feelings of regret. In what a Publishers Weekly critic referred to as an “astute” and “endearing” tale, the reviewer found Norman to be “deeply relatable: reveling in unconditional love, prone to impulsiveness and rumination, and absolutely capable of self-redemption.” A Kirkus Reviews critic recommended the book as a way to teach children how to welcome new family members. The reviewer concluded that Norman Didn’t Do It! (Yes, He Did) is “a clever, funny prod to do the right thing when changes take root.”
Thanks for Nothing! takes place in Soggy Hollow. Bruce the bear is preparing a Thanksgiving-style meal to share with his three mouse friends, but the food is sabotaged. The stew becomes a foot bath, vegetables fly all over the kitchen, and the apples saved for apple pie have been eaten. Bruce has had enough of celebrating. But when an unexpected guest arrives, Bruce realizes that you do not need a fancy meal to show your thanks. Writing in School Library Journal, Mary Lantii remarked: “With detailed, comedic images that incorporate reds, oranges, and yellows, this book celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday from an entertaining and surprising angle.”
Bruce is back in Ballet Bruce, which sees the bear helping geese learn ballet. The geese were inspired by a poster of Swan Lake and ask Bruce to help them obtain a lot of equipment they will need, including ballet shoes and dance pants. Bruce becomes tired as he drives his motorcycle all over town looking for things. “Graceful pirouettes can be found elsewhere; giggles take the stage here,” declared a Kirkus Reviews critic. In School Library Journal, reviewer Kristen Todd-Wurm praised the “Simple text and repetitive words and phrases, coupled with the usual delightful illustrations of Bruce and the geese.”
Hey, Bruce! An Interactive Book breaks the fourth wall as the three hyper energetic mice—Rupert, Thistle, and Nibbs—try to get the reader to wake up Bruce by tapping on the book, turning the pages, flipping the book around, lifting and tilting it, to move Bruce around the page. “Kids will love the relentless energy of the mice, the accessible humor and wordplay,” declared a contributor to Kirkus Reviews. In an interview at Publishers Weekly, Higgins explained: “I had wanted to make an interactive book for a long time, but then Bruce and the mice got involved and hijacked it! All I had to do was keep up and take notes… the mice enlist the help of the reader in getting Bruce to sleep. Mayhem ensues—along with plenty of jokes.”
In Legend of Soggy Hollow, Bruce hates Halloween, but his mice and geese friends love it and try to get the curmudgeonly bear into the spirit by telling scary stories, such as the Legend of Soggy Hollow and the Horseless Horseman with Bruce in the role of Ichabod Bruce. Bruce is not an actor, even more so when a ghostly spirit apparently arrives. A Kirkus Reviews critic observed: “Text bubbles and boxes further develop the story of these charming characters.”
In Out Cold: A Little Bruce Book, Bruce has a cold and cannot go outside, so his mice friends bring the snowman family they made indoors for Bruce to see, including Snow Bruce complete with the bear’s signature unibrow. Who knew the snow would melt into a puddle in Bruce’s house? The water freezes creating an ice rink and ski jump that trips up Bruce making him fall. Despite their good intentions, the mice are rewarded by catching Bruce’s cold. “Bruce’s grumpy nature and the mice’s overzealous helpfulness both shine triumphantly,” declared a writer in Kirkus Reviews.
Part of the “Penelope Rex” series, We Don’t Lose Our Class Goldfish features the grade-school T. Rex terrified of Walter, the class goldfish. Walter bites and has menacing fins and shifty eyes. When Penelope has to bring Walter home to take care of him, she believes that he watches her when she sleeps, has somehow moved his bowl during the night, and then he disappears. Penelope learns there is more to Walter than what she thought she knew. Then her parents present her with a surprising new pet. Higgins’s hilarious closing twist “is a horse (or, to be more exact, a big cat) of a different color,” according to Booklist reviewer John Peters. In Kirkus Reviews, a contributor declared: “A resonant tale of gaining self-esteem by conquering what seems scary.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
AudioFile, December, 2018, Jennifer M. Dowell, “Ryan T. Higgins,” p. 72.
Booklist, May 15, 2020, John Peters, review of We Will Rock Our Classmates, p. 53; February 1, 2023, John Peters, review of We Don’t Lose Our Class Goldfish, p. 60.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, May, 2013, Jeannette Hulick, review of Wilfred, p. 421.
Children’s Bookwatch, July, 2014, review of This Book Does Not Have Words; January, 2019, review of 1 Grumpy Bruce; March, 2019, review of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates.
Horn Book, September-October, 2018, Nell Beram, review of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, p. 64.
Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2013, review of Wilfred; September 15, 2015, review of Mother Bruce; February 15, 2017, review of Be Quiet!; June 1, 2018, review of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates; April 1, 2019, review of Bruce’s Big Fun Day; August 15, 2019, review of Peek-a-Bruce; March 15, 2020, review of What About Worms!?; June 1, 2020, review of We Will Rock Our Classmates; December 1, 2020, review of Spring Stinks; April 15, 2021, review of The Bruce Swap; July 15, 2021, review of Norman Didn’t Do It! (Yes, He Did); June 1, 2022, review of Ballet Bruce; June 15, 2022, review of Hey, Bruce! An Interactive Book; May 2023, review of We Don’t Lose Our Class Goldfish; May 15, 2023, review of Legend of Soggy Hollow; August 15, 2023, review of Out Cold: A Little Bruce Book.
New York Times, December 18, 2015, Maria Russo, review of Mother Bruce.
Publishers Weekly, January 21, 2013, review of Wilfred, p. 64; September 7, 2015, review of Mother Bruce, p. 65; October 24, 2016, review of Hotel Bruce, p. 75; January, 2017, review of Be Quiet!, p. 201; April 16, 2018, review of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, p. 91; June 18, 2018, “T. Rex Problems: Spotlight on Ryan T. Higgins,” p. 27; September 24, 2018, review of Santa Bruce, p. 108; November 27, 2018, Antonia Saxon, author interview, p. 40, and review of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, p. 40; April 6, 2020, review of What About Worms!?, p. 75; July 5, 2021, review of Norman Didn’t Do It! (Yes, He Did), p. 67.
School Library Journal, March, 2013, Linda Ludke, review of Wilfred, p. 112; August, 2016, Jasmine L. Precopio, review of Hotel Bruce, p. 74; April, 2017, Amy Shepherd, review of Be Quiet!, p. 127; August, 2018, Lisa Lehmuller, review of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, p. 52; September 2021, Mary Lantii, review of Thanks for Nothing!, p. 67; March 2022, Kristen Todd-Wurm, review of Ballet Bruce, p. 92.
ONLINE
Booklist, https://www.booklistonline.com/ (November 12, 2015), Julia Smith, review of Mother Bruce.
Foreword Reviews, https://www.forewordreviews.com/ (December 4, 2017), Aimee Jodoin, review of This Book Does Not Have Words.
Jean Book Nerd, http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/ (November 1, 2018), author interview.
Jena Benton website, https://jenabenton.com/ (December 5, 2016), author interview; (July 2, 2018), author interview.
News Center Maine, https://www.newscentermaine.com/ (December 2, 2020), Beth McEvoy, “New York Times Bestselling Author, Illustrator uses Mainers as Inspiration for Children’s Books,” author interview.
Publishers Weekly, https://www.publishersweekly.com/ (June 5, 2018), Antonia Saxon, author Q&A; (July 5, 2022), “Close-Up on: Ryan T. Higgins.”
Ryan T. Higgins website, http://ryanthiggins.com (August 30, 2021).*
Ryan T. Higgins is the author and illustrator of the #1 New York Times best-selling Mother Bruce, which received the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor. In addition to the Mother Bruce series, Ryan is also the author and illustrator of Norman Didn’t Do It!, We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, We Will Rock Our Classmates, BE QUIET!, and What About Worms!?, an Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! book. He lives in Maine with his three children, three dogs, three cats, one gecko, one tortoise, and one wife.
Ryan T. Higgins was born in 1983. As a child, he lived on a diet of cartoons, cheese sandwiches, and climbing trees. Until he was four years old, Ryan wanted to grow up to be a tiger. When that didn't work out, he decided to become a cartoonist. He's been making his own cartoons ever since and hasn't grown up yet.
Ryan is the author and illustrator of the #1 New York Times best-selling We Don't Eat Our Classmates; the New York Times best-selling Mother Bruce, which received the E. B. White Read Aloud Award and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor; Hotel Bruce; BE QUIET!; Bruce's Big Move; and others. He lives in Maine with his three children, three dogs, three cats, one gecko, one tortoise, and one wife.
Ryan T. Higgins
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ryan T. Higgins
Occupation Author and illustrator
Genre Children's books
Notable awards The E.B. White Read Aloud Award (2016, 2019)
Website
ryanthiggins.com
Ryan T. Higgins is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He is best known for his Mother Bruce and Penelope Rex series, both of which have had a book on The New York Times Best Seller List[1][2] and have won the E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books.[3][4]
Biography
Higgins graduated from the College of the Atlantic in 2006.[5] He is married and has three children.[6] As of 2021, he lives in Maine.[7]
Influences
Higgins was greatly inspired by Calvin and Hobbes comics when he was younger and initially wanted to become a comic writer; however, after seeing Mo Willems's Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! at a friend's home, he became intrigued by the genre.[6] He was inspired to write We Don't Eat Our Classmates when his son was preparing for kindergarten.[6]
Awards and honors
Mother Bruce was a New York Times bestseller.[1] Kirkus Reviews included it on their list of the best children's books of 2015.[1]
We Don't Eat Our Classmates was a New York Times and IndieBound bestseller.[2] Kirkus Reviews included it on their list of the best children's books of 2018.[2]
What About Worms?! was a 2021 ALSC Notable Children's Book for Younger Readers.[8][9]
Awards
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2016 Mother Bruce E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books Winner [3][10]
Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for Illustrator Honoree [11]
2017 Be Quiet! Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books Nominee [12]
2018 We Don't Eat Our Classmates Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books Nominee [13]
2018–2019 Mother Bruce California Young Reader Medal for Primary Nominee [14]
2019 We Don't Eat Our Classmates Bank Street College of Education Cook Prize Honoree [15]
Charlotte Zolotow Award Commended [16]
E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books Winner [4][17]
Irma Black Award Finalist [18][19]
2020 We Will Rock Our Classmates Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books Nominee [20]
2021 What About Worms?! Geisel Award Honoree [21][22][23]
2023 Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers Nominee [24]
We Don't Eat Our Classmates California Young Reader Medal for Primary Winner [25]
Publications
Mother Bruce series
Mother Bruce (2015)
Hotel Bruce (2016)
Bruce's Big Move (2017)
Santa Bruce (2018)
1 Grumpy Bruce (2019)
Bruce's Big Fun Day (2019)
Bruce's Big Storm (2019)
Peek-a-Bruce (2019)
The Bruce Swap (2021)
Thanks for Nothing (2021)
Spring Stinks (2021)
Ballet Bruce (2022)
Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book (2022)
Penelope Rex series
We Don't Eat Our Classmates (2018)
We Will Rock Our Classmates (2020)
We Don't Lose Our Class Goldfish (2023)
Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets (2024)
Stand alone books
Twaddleton's Cheese (2008)
Roger Goes Up (2012)
Wilfred (2013)
This Book Does Not Have Words (2014)
Be Quiet! (2017)
What About Worms!? (2020)
Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes He Did) (2021)
Higgins, Ryan T. NORMAN AND THE SMELL OF ADVENTURE Disney-Hyperion (Children's None) $18.99 7, 1 ISBN: 9781368090216
Norman the porcupine yearns for new experiences, but his best friend Mildred, a tree, has other ideas.
Fun though it is to read on a tree branch or watch birds together, Norman's proposal to seek out fresh experiences goes over like a lead balloon with Mildred, who's stuck in place. In the wake of an angry tiff, Norman marches off in search of adventure, following its scent down roads, over rivers, through swamps, and up mountains. Afterward, because Norman is used to carrying on both sides of any conversation with his tart but nonverbal plant buddy ("What?! I am NOT shaped like a gumdrop!"), he has no trouble explaining to a potted cactus he finds by the roadside that it's perfectly fine to try different things, but it's time to go home because he misses his friend and, anyway, he's running out of snacks. The ensuing happy reunion ensures that whenever the "smell of adventure" tempts Norman into future excursions, he'll always come back to a warm welcome: "What do you mean I need a bath?!" In the bright, simply drawn cartoon panels, Mildred is surprisingly expressive for a tree, and Norman really does look something like a gumdrop.
A funny and sensitive exploration of friendship dynamics.(Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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Source Citation
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"Higgins, Ryan T.: NORMAN AND THE SMELL OF ADVENTURE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A855326184/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=37c4f59a. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Higgins, Ryan T. BRUCE SAVES THE PLANET Disney-Hyperion (Children's None) $19.99 2, 4 ISBN: 9781368090209
A misanthropic bear inadvertently becomes a conservationist.
Grumpy Bruce prefers solitude--though that's hard to find as a devoted parent to a passel of geese and mice. In search of some "me" time, he decides to go fishing but encounters a crowd of environmentalists protesting the building of a factory. Bruce rejects their pleas to join them. At the stream, he's dismayed when his bait leaps into the stream with his lunch. On his way home, Bruce passes the demonstrators, who have been joined by his own offspring. They're delighted he's returned "to save the forest," and soon the unwilling Bruce is shepherded to the town hall, where his unenthusiastic comments are hilariously misinterpreted: "I don't even want to be here." "Bruce is right! None of uswantsto be here. But we MUST!" As it turns out, Bruce's lunchbox holds the key to a miraculous victory: Nestled inside are two extremely rare beetles from the stream that, by law, must be protected. Therefore, no factory! Following a long nap, Bruce rehomes the beetles and finds a new fishing spot, and the forest becomes a "protected wildland," named in Bruce's honor. The contrast between the standoffish Bruce and his earnest children and peers makes for a funny yet sweet tale that celebrates environmental preservation efforts and applauds even the smallest attempts to fight for a worthy cause. Higgins' expressive, crisp, and clean illustrations will keep youngsters chuckling.
A satisfying story with an important message. (tips for preserving the environment and animal habitats, websites, further reading)(Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Higgins, Ryan T.: BRUCE SAVES THE PLANET." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A832991904/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=05ee351d. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Higgins, Ryan T. BEACH BUMMER Disney-Hyperion (Children's None) $9.99 5, 7 ISBN: 9781368090247
Bruce the bear shepherds his family of geese and mice on a trip to the seaside.
It's hot--too hot--and everyone is feeling it. Everyone but Bruce, who, unbothered, appears to be taking a page from his book The Joys of Doing Nothing. Not ones to languish long, the mice propose turning the house into a beach resort; when Bruce shoots that idea down, they suggest going to the beach. The geese agree and enthusiastically run ahead, leaving Bruce to carry the gear. The mice and geese have fun in the sun while the long-suffering Bruce wrestles with their umbrella and floaties. A rollicking time is had by all, except, of course, poor Bruce. Finally settled, with a relaxed "Ahhhh," Bruce is once again reunited with his book. Unsurprisingly, the respite is short-lived, and the sky almost immediately fills with clouds, then torrential rain. The beachgoers run for home, leaving Bruce once again to clean up. Disappointed, the mice and geese look to Bruce for a solution. Of course, in typical grump-with-a-heart-of-gold fashion, he finds a way to put things right. As in previous entries, Higgins' signature illustrations, with their deft use of line and shading, are a delight. Young readers will enjoy the antics of the expressive mice and geese, and adults will recognize (and sympathize with) Bruce's tireless schlepping and entertaining.
Hilarious proof that a caregiver's work is never done. (Picture book. 2-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Higgins, Ryan T.: BEACH BUMMER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A786185588/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7a617546. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Higgins, Ryan T. PENELOPE REX AND THE PROBLEM WITH PETS Disney-Hyperion (Children's None) $18.99 3, 26 ISBN: 9781368089609
Penelope's parents give her an overzealous pet that just might be too much to handle.
What is an appropriate pet for a young T. rex? A saber-toothed cat, of course. Penelope doesn't even want a pet. But she's willing to give Mittens a try. Mittens, however, is a bit energetic and very large. He takes up the entire bed and bowls Penelope over with excited leaps every time she walks through the door. Plus, he eats everything he's not supposed to (even possibly the neighbor, Mrs. Phillips) and has a habit of burying Penelope's underwear in the backyard. But when the family puts Mittens outside (he looks in longingly through the sliding glass door with large, sorrowful eyes) and attempts to crate him at night, Penelope's feelings begin to change. With a lot of hard work and training, Mittens becomes a lovable--but still very large--part of the family. Higgins explores the frustrations of new-pet ownership and the time it takes for all involved to parse out their new roles. Clad in her trademark pink overalls, Penelope experiences a range of emotions (disgust when Mittens uses the bathtub as a litter box, anger over a torn backpack, remorse at losing her temper) in exaggerated, snout-quivering style.
A first-pet tale bursting with personality. (Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Higgins, Ryan T.: PENELOPE REX AND THE PROBLEM WITH PETS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A777736768/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ad5060d9. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.