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Mother Bruce #6
Den forkerte Boris
Boris' uartige fætter kommer på besøg, mens Boris ikke er hjemme. Boris' fætter ligner Boris på en prik, og alle dyrene i skoven tror, at det ER Boris. Men fætteren er overhovedet ikke som Boris. Han er bare vildere og skørere og finder på den ene fjollede ting efter den anden. I starten er det bare supersjovt, at 'Boris' pludselig er så sjov, og alle dyrene leger med. Men til sidst bliver det måske liiiidt for meget. Så da den rigtige surmulende Boris vender tilbage, vil gensynsglæden ingen ende tage hos dyrene (mens Boris' fætter hurtigt smutter, for nu skal der ryddes op efter al hans ballade!).
48 pages
First published May 4, 2021
8 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
June 3, 2021
Look! It’s our favorite grumpy, grumbly blue bear. Or is it?
This careful-what-you-wish-for tale swaps our Bruce for a fun all the time version. Are you ready for FUN Bruce? Come see what happens when Bruce’s Cousin Kevin (aka Bruce’s doppelganger—whoops. I mean “dingle pooper”!) drops in for a visit. Constant FUN can turn messy in a hurry. Can Rupurt, Thistle, Nibbs, and the geese actually have too much fun?
Kevin may look like Bruce, but he’s definitely not our Bruce. The big smiles on Bruce’s look alike actually gave me the creeps. Haha…My mind was like no, nope. That’s just not right. Bruce doesn’t smile! Other than that, the art was invigorating and giggle-worthy as ever. I love the bright colors and expressions. The geese always crack me up.
A fun story filled with mix-ups, pizzazz, and pizza! With a sweet side of appreciating someone just as they are.
Highly recommended.
June 14, 2021
I think the tired mom in me relates to Bruce maybe more in 2021 than in any time in the past. A great addition to a fun series.
July 22, 2021
Ryan T Higgins has brought our favorite grumpy blue bear, Bruce back. The Bruce Swap is sure to bring the giggles out during your storytimes. Especially the alternate word for doppelganger! Kids will quickly discover to be careful about what they wish for and maybe, just maybe there is such a thing as too much fun.
January 16, 2024
This tale of mistaken identity and equating wrecking a place in the name of fun just doesn't do it.
March 24, 2023
OK, clearly I have missed a few book in this picture book series, as there are a bunch of named mice running around Bruce's house. Also, the mice talk but the geese do not? Is this a mammals have language thing, or just that birds are so alien they never learned to talk bear? Are all geese permanent juveniles (which answers some questions about Mother Goose's grief process) or just these ones? Are mice also permanent children or are these young mice? Or are they more pets than people? Why aren't they eating the mice? I have questions that perhaps the intervening books will answer but speculating is also fun. At least I know that Bruce is a grumpy bear with a habit of accidentally adopting babies and that's presumably why his household is the way it is. And why he should be able to take off for the day and leave the household to manage itself -- the geese are adults!
Ahem, back to this book. Very charming, not least because I have a brother Kevin who loudly proclaimed himself THE FUN UNCLE for his niblings (including my kids) and also loudly proclaimed that he felt entitled to drop off his charming niblings the instant they transformed into YOUR KIDS by becoming less fun. So watching Kevin be all fun all the time and then abandoning his mess was especially pleasant for me. Also the version I borrowed from the library was online and had a narrator, so I got it read to me by a good narrator guy.
Ahem, back to this book. Very charming, not least because I have a brother Kevin who loudly proclaimed himself THE FUN UNCLE for his niblings (including my kids) and also loudly proclaimed that he felt entitled to drop off his charming niblings the instant they transformed into YOUR KIDS by becoming less fun. So watching Kevin be all fun all the time and then abandoning his mess was especially pleasant for me. Also the version I borrowed from the library was online and had a narrator, so I got it read to me by a good narrator guy.
August 1, 2021
First sentence: There was a letter in the mailbox at 13 Go Away Lane. It was a very fine letter.
Premise/plot: The Bruce Swap is a comedic gem. Bruce (aka "Mother Bruce") or oh-so-lovable SUPER, SUPER grumpy bear receives a letter from his cousin, Kevin. Unfortunately, Bruce doesn't get a chance to read the letter--it's eaten by his naughty geese. (They must make a habit of this! It turns up again later in the story). Bruce decides to take the day off and go fishing--he leaves a note behind. (But the note disappears). When Thistle, Rupert, Nibbs wake up (along with the geese???) they discover that their wishes from the night before have come true! GONE GONE GONE is Bruce's grumpiness. Bruce has become a FUN-LOVING, exuberant, cheerful bear. A bear who has a million different ways to have FUN every single moment of the day. Is there such a thing as too much fun???? Will they soon be wishing Bruce to turn back into his old grumpy self????
My thoughts: I had forgotten how much I love, love, love these characters. I haven't reread the whole series. I don't own the series--all have been library finds. I highly recommend these books.
I thought this book was super fun and a great addition to a great series. I wish I still had little ones to read it with.
May 17, 2021
5 stars. Definitely a worry you might actually get what you wish for kind of book! Be sure to read the ebook wi to narration, the voices are great, especially the alternate pronunciation of doppelgänger!
May 9, 2021
I'm pretty sure this Bruce story made me laugh the hardest.
July 2, 2021
this is very funny! As someone who likes things tidy, the mess at the end was borderline painful, but getting there did look really fun.
April 3, 2022
An unexpected visit from Kevin proves you can have too much of a good thing. This was a hilarious book, but it also gives you the opportunity to discuss what happens when all you have is fun.
Read
May 14, 2023Dinglepooper! Need I say more?
November 4, 2022
I didn’t know they wrote a book about me and my sister haha 😭.
Jokes aside, very entertaining and it has a good message that sometimes when the grass isn’t always greener.
Jokes aside, very entertaining and it has a good message that sometimes when the grass isn’t always greener.
May 5, 2021
Laugh out loud funny!! I love the new addition of cousin Kevin and his fun antics to the forest friends mix at Bruce's house.
July 20, 2021
I'll start by saying that I don't usually review picture books--I'm not exactly the target audience--but I'm a huge fan of the Bruce series. They're funny, the illustrations are vibrant and expressive, and the writing has something for both children and their parents. My partner, my toddler, and I all love the series, as well as Higgins' books about Penelope the dinosaur. We are big enough fans that I preordered this book, but I've been left disappointed. The Bruce Swap sidelines the series' best characters, and, more alarmingly, several of the illustrations have been copy/pasted with minimal changes in multiple places in the book.
I haven't loved all the books equally--Mother Bruce is my favorite, Bruce's Big Move is a miss for me--but this is the first book that felt off. Perhaps that's because Bruce is missing for the majority of the book, which leaves the mice, along with a new character, Kevin, as the stars. These characters don't do much for me (I prefer Bruce and the stupid-but-lovable geese), but hey, it's okay to switch up the formula from time to time. Maybe it works for other people! If Bruce's absence was my only issue with this book, I wouldn't be writing this review).
My big, huge, glaring issue is the illustrations. The first thing that struck me was the style in which the geese are drawn. In previous books, they were drawn in a way that was naturalistic with a humorous bent. In this book, they are noticeably cartoonified--they lack the character and charm they had in previous books. I guess this isn't totally surprising, since the geese have pretty much become set dressing at this point in the series in favor of highlighting Rupert, Nibbs, and Thistle.
That isn't what made me write this review, though. The real issue is that multiple illustrations are simply copy/pasted throughout the book with minor tweaks. Take the two illustrations of a goose eating a letter--they're the same illustration, only mirrored. Or, later in the book, the illustrations of the geese and mice alarmed at the prospect of Bruce having fun, and the illustration of the same group saying 'no' to Bruce. The mice are drawn differently in each picture, but the geese are simply cut and rearranged. These drawings are on pages that face each other--you can see them without even flipping a page. There's also the picture of the geese and mice crying hysterically--this image is barely altered at all. It appears two pages later, shrunk down to half the size.
This book is offensively lazy. Sure, my two-year-old won't notice this, but older kids might, and their parents certainly will. I'd rather have fewer books in this series of higher quality than a book the author couldn't even bother to fully illustrate. At this point, it feels like either a cash grab, or pressure from the publisher to pump out books at an unsustainable rate. Either way, it's disappointing as a longtime fan of the series.
I haven't loved all the books equally--Mother Bruce is my favorite, Bruce's Big Move is a miss for me--but this is the first book that felt off. Perhaps that's because Bruce is missing for the majority of the book, which leaves the mice, along with a new character, Kevin, as the stars. These characters don't do much for me (I prefer Bruce and the stupid-but-lovable geese), but hey, it's okay to switch up the formula from time to time. Maybe it works for other people! If Bruce's absence was my only issue with this book, I wouldn't be writing this review).
My big, huge, glaring issue is the illustrations. The first thing that struck me was the style in which the geese are drawn. In previous books, they were drawn in a way that was naturalistic with a humorous bent. In this book, they are noticeably cartoonified--they lack the character and charm they had in previous books. I guess this isn't totally surprising, since the geese have pretty much become set dressing at this point in the series in favor of highlighting Rupert, Nibbs, and Thistle.
That isn't what made me write this review, though. The real issue is that multiple illustrations are simply copy/pasted throughout the book with minor tweaks. Take the two illustrations of a goose eating a letter--they're the same illustration, only mirrored. Or, later in the book, the illustrations of the geese and mice alarmed at the prospect of Bruce having fun, and the illustration of the same group saying 'no' to Bruce. The mice are drawn differently in each picture, but the geese are simply cut and rearranged. These drawings are on pages that face each other--you can see them without even flipping a page. There's also the picture of the geese and mice crying hysterically--this image is barely altered at all. It appears two pages later, shrunk down to half the size.
This book is offensively lazy. Sure, my two-year-old won't notice this, but older kids might, and their parents certainly will. I'd rather have fewer books in this series of higher quality than a book the author couldn't even bother to fully illustrate. At this point, it feels like either a cash grab, or pressure from the publisher to pump out books at an unsustainable rate. Either way, it's disappointing as a longtime fan of the series.
August 8, 2024
2 étoiles. C'est peut-être mieux en anglais, mais je ne l’aime pas vraiment. Le cousin est niaiseux et je n’ai pas vraiment vu l’intérêt de cette histoire… ??
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2 stars. Maybe this is better in English, but I really didn’t care for it. The cousin is a total brat and I didn’t really see any point to the story…??
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2 stars. Maybe this is better in English, but I really didn’t care for it. The cousin is a total brat and I didn’t really see any point to the story…??
July 19, 2021
The Bruce books are just full on entertaining, with obvious and more subtle humor through the story and illustration details.
December 31, 2021
I'm frustrated. I don't blame Higgins for satisfying the yen of the folks who have fallen in love with the formula, but I found the first book amazing and want more creativity from the sequels and spin-offs. I shouldn't always be thinking "Poor Bruce."
Why do the geese eat the notes? Just random insatiability, or some ruse to keep secrets?
Why do the mice want to change Bruce, seeing as they like him well enough to live with him?
At least this one is a bit more creative. And it has the word "existential" in it. 3 1/2 stars rounded down because I'm still saying "Poor Bruce."
Why do the geese eat the notes? Just random insatiability, or some ruse to keep secrets?
Why do the mice want to change Bruce, seeing as they like him well enough to live with him?
At least this one is a bit more creative. And it has the word "existential" in it. 3 1/2 stars rounded down because I'm still saying "Poor Bruce."
May 5, 2021
BWAHAHAHA! LOLOLOLOLOL! HA! HA! HA! HO! HO! HO! This book absolutely cracked me up! I would NOT swap it for a dozen episodes of Saturday Night Live. I am convinced that author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins' middle initial stands for TEE-HEE. From the undercover to the front and back endpapers to every page in between and all the layers of fun details in the illustrations, this book is a read-aloud, laugh-outloud delight!
July 22, 2021
I am with the geese because I always want food. I am not so much for wanting fun, matter of fact I know I would choose food over fun. Moderation is key because too much of a good thing is still too much.
September 1, 2021
Another funny book in the Bruce series, only this time, when Bruce's family starts wishing that Bruce was a little more fun and a little less grumpy, Bruce's fun cousin, Kevin shows up to play.
Is there such a thing as too much fun?
Is there such a thing as too much fun?
July 6, 2021
For fans of the Mother Bruce series. Bruce is still grumpy, but is that so bad?
January 27, 2024
When Bruce rejects fun one too many times in this seventh picture book devoted to his adventures, the mice secretly wish that he would change, becoming more cheerful, more adventurous, and more full of pizazz. Little do they realize that Bruce's fun-loving cousin Kevin is on the way, arriving the same day Bruce himself takes off on a fishing trip. Convinced that their wishes have come true, the mice (and geese) enjoy the chaotic hijinks at first, but soon discover that this new "Bruce" might be fun, but he isn't particularly attuned to their needs, or even their safety. Could it be that too much fun isn't a good thing, and that Bruce was fine as we was...?
Featuring the same sly sense of humor and underlying goodheartedness (grumpy blue bears notwithstanding) as it predecessors, The Bruce Swap was a fun adventure with these appealing characters. As always, I appreciated the eponymous ursine character's gruff grouchiness, and the fact that, underneath it all, this is a bear who does truly care. I certainly got a chuckle out of the fact that, returning home, Bruce offers to be more fun, only to be met with emphatic denials. This emphasizes that, in the end, what Bruce brings to the table is something more valuable than "fun." He is that solidly dependable parent who sees to the needs of his children, and ensures their welfare, even if not always a barrel of laughs. In short: he is a parental figure, rather than a friend, something the mice and geese come to appreciate, when his steadying influence is removed. Recommended to fans of "Mother Bruce" and his brood, as well as to those picture book readers looking for stories which emphasize the idea of being careful what you wish for, and of solid dependability being more important in a parent, than "pizazz."
Note: If half stars were available, I would rate this at 3.5, but as they are not, I have rounded up to 4 stars.
Featuring the same sly sense of humor and underlying goodheartedness (grumpy blue bears notwithstanding) as it predecessors, The Bruce Swap was a fun adventure with these appealing characters. As always, I appreciated the eponymous ursine character's gruff grouchiness, and the fact that, underneath it all, this is a bear who does truly care. I certainly got a chuckle out of the fact that, returning home, Bruce offers to be more fun, only to be met with emphatic denials. This emphasizes that, in the end, what Bruce brings to the table is something more valuable than "fun." He is that solidly dependable parent who sees to the needs of his children, and ensures their welfare, even if not always a barrel of laughs. In short: he is a parental figure, rather than a friend, something the mice and geese come to appreciate, when his steadying influence is removed. Recommended to fans of "Mother Bruce" and his brood, as well as to those picture book readers looking for stories which emphasize the idea of being careful what you wish for, and of solid dependability being more important in a parent, than "pizazz."
Note: If half stars were available, I would rate this at 3.5, but as they are not, I have rounded up to 4 stars.
June 6, 2021
“There was a letter in the mailbox at 13 Go Away Lane.”
Is there such a thing as having too much fun? Nibbs, Thistle, Rupert and the geese are about to find out. Kevin, Bruce’s fun cousin, writes a letter that he’s coming for a visit. But Bruce never sees the letter and on the day of Kevin’s expected arrival, Bruce leaves a note and goes fishing by himself. Nibbs, Thistle and Rupert never see Bruce’s note and when Kevin arrives, they think their wishes have come true: wishes that Bruce would be more cheerful, more adventurous and have more pizzazz. It soon becomes clear, however, that this is not Bruce, but instead is Bruce’s doppelganger (or dingle pooper, as Nibbs calls it.)
At first, it is awesome to have this fun version of Bruce around. But soon, things start to get too loud and too dangerous and “Nobody was having any fun having fun anymore.” Especially after Kevin’s fun friends show up. Soon, everyone was crying ... wishing the regular Bruce would return and that is when Kevin chooses to leave to go have fun somewhere else. Upon his return, Bruce finds the little ones inconsolable, so he decides he should try to be fun to which the entire family yells “FUN!?! AAAAHHHH!!!”
Everything in moderation. Sometimes you need to ease up on the structure, sometimes you need to ease up on the fun. Life is about balance. A fun addition to the school library.
Is there such a thing as having too much fun? Nibbs, Thistle, Rupert and the geese are about to find out. Kevin, Bruce’s fun cousin, writes a letter that he’s coming for a visit. But Bruce never sees the letter and on the day of Kevin’s expected arrival, Bruce leaves a note and goes fishing by himself. Nibbs, Thistle and Rupert never see Bruce’s note and when Kevin arrives, they think their wishes have come true: wishes that Bruce would be more cheerful, more adventurous and have more pizzazz. It soon becomes clear, however, that this is not Bruce, but instead is Bruce’s doppelganger (or dingle pooper, as Nibbs calls it.)
At first, it is awesome to have this fun version of Bruce around. But soon, things start to get too loud and too dangerous and “Nobody was having any fun having fun anymore.” Especially after Kevin’s fun friends show up. Soon, everyone was crying ... wishing the regular Bruce would return and that is when Kevin chooses to leave to go have fun somewhere else. Upon his return, Bruce finds the little ones inconsolable, so he decides he should try to be fun to which the entire family yells “FUN!?! AAAAHHHH!!!”
Everything in moderation. Sometimes you need to ease up on the structure, sometimes you need to ease up on the fun. Life is about balance. A fun addition to the school library.
August 12, 2021
Isn't fun just FUN?!
Nope, Bruce the Bear doesn't think so. It doesn't matter what his family asks him as his answer to fun is usually "No." When his family all wish for a new, improved, more fun Bruce (except for the geese who wish for sandwiches), their wishes all come true in a very surprising way: Kevin! No one knew Bruce's cousin, Kevin, was coming to visit, and Kevin brings the FUN!
Kevin brings too much FUN actually.
What to do when you are all funned out? It's time for the mice and the geese to make new wishes and get their lovable, grumpy, fun-intolerant Bruce back! But what if Bruce has seen the light, changed his mind, and is ready for some fun now? Oh, no! With existential crises and doppelgangers (or is it dingle poopers?) galore, the latest in the Bruce series is the answer to my wishes though do be careful, friends, of what you wish for.
p.s. Mister really loved this book and said that we needed 26 pizzas. I'm not sure he understood the concept of too much fun.
Nope, Bruce the Bear doesn't think so. It doesn't matter what his family asks him as his answer to fun is usually "No." When his family all wish for a new, improved, more fun Bruce (except for the geese who wish for sandwiches), their wishes all come true in a very surprising way: Kevin! No one knew Bruce's cousin, Kevin, was coming to visit, and Kevin brings the FUN!
Kevin brings too much FUN actually.
What to do when you are all funned out? It's time for the mice and the geese to make new wishes and get their lovable, grumpy, fun-intolerant Bruce back! But what if Bruce has seen the light, changed his mind, and is ready for some fun now? Oh, no! With existential crises and doppelgangers (or is it dingle poopers?) galore, the latest in the Bruce series is the answer to my wishes though do be careful, friends, of what you wish for.
p.s. Mister really loved this book and said that we needed 26 pizzas. I'm not sure he understood the concept of too much fun.
April 29, 2021
This book is the cutest! When this arrived at our house, my daughter got so excited! She has read other books in the series and couldn't wait to start this one! It lived up to her excitement!
The Bruce Swap has our grumpy friend Bruce heading out on a fishing trip and his cousin unexpectedly arrives. Everyone thinks his cousin is the actual Bruce, but now he's FUN! The whole household soon learns that there can be too much of a good thing.
I thought this story was absolutely adorable! It was FUN 😉 and exciting with crazy surprises and events. The characters are full of personality, and you can't help but love them. My daughter loved the illustrations too! They are filled with details that you have to take time and look at. So much work went into bringing this story to life.
I highly recommend this book! It's perfect for kids in preschool through middle-elementary!
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
The Bruce Swap has our grumpy friend Bruce heading out on a fishing trip and his cousin unexpectedly arrives. Everyone thinks his cousin is the actual Bruce, but now he's FUN! The whole household soon learns that there can be too much of a good thing.
I thought this story was absolutely adorable! It was FUN 😉 and exciting with crazy surprises and events. The characters are full of personality, and you can't help but love them. My daughter loved the illustrations too! They are filled with details that you have to take time and look at. So much work went into bringing this story to life.
I highly recommend this book! It's perfect for kids in preschool through middle-elementary!
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
April 21, 2026
This one is another absolute gem in this hilarious and heartwarming series. Bruce is back, and this time things get turned upside down when a case of mistaken identity brings his super-fun cousin Kevin into the mix. What follows is a chaotic, laugh-out-loud adventure as “too much fun” takes over and everyone starts to question what balance really means.
This book is full of Higgins’ signature humour and expressive illustrations that make it a fantastic read-aloud for kids. It also naturally opens up great conversations about when fun becomes TOO MUCH, which also makes it a meaningful read for opening up conversation.
We LOVE this series, and this installment does not disappoint.
I also created a fun companion activity for The Bruce Swap on my TPT store to extend the learning with drawing and critical thinking prompts.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/P...
This book is full of Higgins’ signature humour and expressive illustrations that make it a fantastic read-aloud for kids. It also naturally opens up great conversations about when fun becomes TOO MUCH, which also makes it a meaningful read for opening up conversation.
We LOVE this series, and this installment does not disappoint.
I also created a fun companion activity for The Bruce Swap on my TPT store to extend the learning with drawing and critical thinking prompts.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/P...
April 18, 2025
The Bruce Swap by Ryan T. Higgins. Okay, I know this is part of a popular series so most of you probably know about it but I just had to put this out here because I think this new one is so cute. I honestly am a big fan of Bruce though and his curmudgeon attitude and all his “children” so if you don’t like the Bruce books then you aren’t going to suddenly like this one. This one is pretty great. The children, all the mice and the geese, wish that Bruce could be more fun and then the very next day, while Bruce is away fishing, Bruce’s doppelganger shows up, Kevin, and he’s a riot. He’s ALLLLL party and the mice and the geese have the time of their lives until they don’t. It is a little predictable but just a blast to read and my 4-year-old was laughing his head off. Just getting better.
June 14, 2021
Everyone, just everyone, knows Bruce is grumpy, so when he turns out to be a "party animal" friendly and inviting to everyone, they have a great time, until things aren't fun anymore. You know that Bruce lives at 13 Go Away Lane, just the name for someone who really wants to be alone. He's off to a fishing trip, alone, but then, wait, he's back, and with a smile on his face, so ready for fun. The family, Thistle, Rupert, and Nibbs, guessed he was just confused, but nothing turned out the way anyone thought it would, even with cousin Kevin. Ryan T. Higgins makes laugh-out-loud stories about Bruce, and this one may have gone off the deep end yet good came out of it after all. Another winner!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews