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Big Bad Bruce
Bruce, a bear bully, never picks on anyone his own size until he is diminished in more ways than one by a small but very independent witch.
40 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
5 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Bill Peet
53 books232 followersBill Peet was an American children's book illustrator and a story writer for Disney Studios. He joined Disney in 1937 and worked on The Jungle Book, Song of the South, Cinderella, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Goliath II, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Pinocchio, Fantasia, The Three Caballeros, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and other stories.
After successes developing short stories for Disney, Peet had his first book published, Hubert's Hair Raising Adventure.
After successes developing short stories for Disney, Peet had his first book published, Hubert's Hair Raising Adventure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
February 10, 2020
Funny book about a bully of a bear, Bruce. He tortures the other forest creatures until he pisses off a witch. She bakes him a pie and makes him itty bitty Bruce and suddenly he's the victim of revenge by those creatures he tortured. The witch turns out to be nice as she adopts him but Bruce seems to have a short memory.
We enjoy Bill Peet. He's a great children's author.
We enjoy Bill Peet. He's a great children's author.
July 14, 2020
This is Bill Peet in Peak form. I think Big Bad Bruce is a fun story. It's about a bully who gets whats coming to him, but the come-up is permanent. I found that strange.
Bruce is a bear who moved into the forest and began terrorizing all the tiny critters. He loves to roll boulders down hills and destroy homes. One day Roxy, the witch (who again looks like Mad Madame Mim from Sword in the Stone) almost gets hit by a boulder and she gets upset. She bakes a pie and leaves it for Bruce who eats it up. It shrinks him down small to the size of a chipmunk and all the animals chase him. Now the witch does find him and take him home where he lives as a pet with the witch. I have to say that the ending here surprised me. I wasn't expecting that to happen.
The best character in here is Roxy the witch. I like her. Bruce did need to be taken down a peg as he was dangerous. He was a big bad. What's typical is that he is changed inside and then he can go back to being his size and he will be kind, but that didn't happy. Troupe subverted.
I love Bill Peets artwork. There is something about it that cozy, zany and realistic. I don't know how he does it. I'm a fan. I have like 10 books of his left to read. He has 36 published works.
Our library still has this one and I suggest reading this one. It's a fun read.
The nephew loved Bruce. He thought a bowling laughing bear was funny. He also enjoyed Roxy the witch. He thought she was weird. He gave this 4 stars too.
Bruce is a bear who moved into the forest and began terrorizing all the tiny critters. He loves to roll boulders down hills and destroy homes. One day Roxy, the witch (who again looks like Mad Madame Mim from Sword in the Stone) almost gets hit by a boulder and she gets upset. She bakes a pie and leaves it for Bruce who eats it up. It shrinks him down small to the size of a chipmunk and all the animals chase him. Now the witch does find him and take him home where he lives as a pet with the witch. I have to say that the ending here surprised me. I wasn't expecting that to happen.
The best character in here is Roxy the witch. I like her. Bruce did need to be taken down a peg as he was dangerous. He was a big bad. What's typical is that he is changed inside and then he can go back to being his size and he will be kind, but that didn't happy. Troupe subverted.
I love Bill Peets artwork. There is something about it that cozy, zany and realistic. I don't know how he does it. I'm a fan. I have like 10 books of his left to read. He has 36 published works.
Our library still has this one and I suggest reading this one. It's a fun read.
The nephew loved Bruce. He thought a bowling laughing bear was funny. He also enjoyed Roxy the witch. He thought she was weird. He gave this 4 stars too.
September 13, 2008
A rare children's book in which the protagonist does NOT learn his lesson, showing that just because your circumstances change, it doesn't mean your character necessarily will. A good spring board for discussion with my four year old, and simply a fun, magical tale. It's also good for teaching young children to recognize and interpret foreshadowing (even if they don't have a word for the concept yet).
January 9, 2018
“Big Bad Bruce” is another classic tale by Bill Peet and it is about how Bruce the Bear tortures small creatures and he eventually gets what he deserves when Roxy the witch shrinks him down to the size of a chipmunk. The lesson of this story may have not been taught right, but this book is still a treat for children to read.
Bill Peet does an excellent job at illustrating and writing the story “Big Bad Bruce.” First, I like to talk about Bill Peet’s illustrations as they are beautiful and colorful when he illustrates Bruce to seem more like a scruffy and mischievous bear rather than a scary and vicious bear. The image that I really enjoyed was the image of Bruce standing up on his hind legs looking for some mischief to do as he has a mischievous grin on his face. Second, I like to talk about Bill Peet’s writing as he effectively uses a fantasy element (witchcraft) to make Bruce see everything from a chipmunk’s point of view and learns about how the other animals felt when he picked on them. Roxy was probably the most interesting character in this story as she was the only one who was able to stand up to Bruce when he was big and I love how she creatively teaches Bruce a lesson about bullying by shrinking him down to the size of a chipmunk.
“Big Bad Bruce” is an interesting story about the consequences of teasing other people, but parents may want to avert their children about the real lesson being taught her, instead of doing what Bruce has done at the end of the book. I would recommend this book to children ages six and up due to some advanced vocabulary in this book and the fact that Bruce had not really learned his lesson.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2010
I am a fan of Bill Peet but I can’t decide if this was a brilliant way to tell a story or if this feels like part of a story. The ending was definitely unusual for a children’s book. It doesn’t follow any common children’s book formula, and I do admire that. But, somehow, what it possibly tried to do didn’t work for me but fell short.
The story’s language didn’t flow that well for me. It was hard to read, especially hard to read aloud. Some of the illustrations seemed off. There were a couple pictures where Bruce’s facial expression didn’t seem to match what the story says he is feeling.
This is a message book with a big M: bigger creatures should not tease and torment smaller creatures. But, there doesn’t seem to be much of a resolution, despite the amazing happenings. I normally admire books that don’t have an expected ending, but I’ve seen it done better than it’s done here.
I did actually sort of like Bruce, mostly because of Peet’s illustrations and not because of his behavior, and the witch, and especially the witch’s cat I found appealing at times. But, I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters in this story.
My favorite illustration was of Bruce leaning against a tree as he was getting smaller and smaller. Very cool! And, overall, I enjoyed the illustrations more than the story.
This story is definitely different and might provide a good springboard for discussion, but some small children may be perturbed. I’m surprised I don’t like this rather strange story more than I do.
The story’s language didn’t flow that well for me. It was hard to read, especially hard to read aloud. Some of the illustrations seemed off. There were a couple pictures where Bruce’s facial expression didn’t seem to match what the story says he is feeling.
This is a message book with a big M: bigger creatures should not tease and torment smaller creatures. But, there doesn’t seem to be much of a resolution, despite the amazing happenings. I normally admire books that don’t have an expected ending, but I’ve seen it done better than it’s done here.
I did actually sort of like Bruce, mostly because of Peet’s illustrations and not because of his behavior, and the witch, and especially the witch’s cat I found appealing at times. But, I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters in this story.
My favorite illustration was of Bruce leaning against a tree as he was getting smaller and smaller. Very cool! And, overall, I enjoyed the illustrations more than the story.
This story is definitely different and might provide a good springboard for discussion, but some small children may be perturbed. I’m surprised I don’t like this rather strange story more than I do.
February 14, 2018
This is one Bill Peet story that I didn't know how it was going to turn out. At first with the title and the and the rollicking bear you can only image that nothing good will happen but how will that affect the story is only left up to the imagination.
Then once the reader gets started into the actual plot it really doesn't have much of a story. The bear is a bad and as a result of his evil ways his smaller neighbors live constantly in fear. Then one day he ends up making the wrong person mad and they get their revenge but comes to save the day before the bully gets his full just desserts. And at the same time Bruce never regains his former self but is allowed to continue his menacing ways as long as it helps his victim/benefactor to benefit from it. So basically what has this bear actually really had learned from the whole experience?
The illustrations were done with Peet's signature style - the human expressions, the detailed backgrounds and the amazing details. The cat that can be found within the pages was my most favorite character and that was a s shame, especially since the cat was a very small secondary to the secondary character.
Although the book does a great job in questioning about bullies and bringing an eye to the event it doesn't fully answer the question maturely enough while there truly more experienced books out there that would make for great anti-bully starters.
Then once the reader gets started into the actual plot it really doesn't have much of a story. The bear is a bad and as a result of his evil ways his smaller neighbors live constantly in fear. Then one day he ends up making the wrong person mad and they get their revenge but comes to save the day before the bully gets his full just desserts. And at the same time Bruce never regains his former self but is allowed to continue his menacing ways as long as it helps his victim/benefactor to benefit from it. So basically what has this bear actually really had learned from the whole experience?
The illustrations were done with Peet's signature style - the human expressions, the detailed backgrounds and the amazing details. The cat that can be found within the pages was my most favorite character and that was a s shame, especially since the cat was a very small secondary to the secondary character.
Although the book does a great job in questioning about bullies and bringing an eye to the event it doesn't fully answer the question maturely enough while there truly more experienced books out there that would make for great anti-bully starters.
January 11, 2019
Big Bad Bruce is just another amazing Bill Peet book that is a perfect one to cuddle up with and read slowly, look and the pictures and smile at the awesome and satisfying ending!
July 21, 2023
Bill Peet was quite popular for a time and published over 30 books between 1959 and 1990. Has he stood the test of time? Yes and no, Big Bad Bruce is an entertaining story with quite a few twists. The question is, "Will today's children buy into the twists or find them contrived?
January 21, 2016
Bruce is a big bear that likes to bully the little creatures in Evergreen Forest. One day he antagonizes the wrong lady - Roxy the witch - and she places a spell on him. After his nap that day, he discovers that now he is one of the little creatures. He has shrunk to smaller than a squirrel and has to figure out how to navigate through life at this small size.
Cute, cute illustrations.
Cute, cute illustrations.
July 9, 2025
An adorable story about a rude bear and a witch with the cutest cat.....I won't say more except it's now one of our favorite Bill Peet's.
October 7, 2012
Bruce, the big bag bear, is a goofy looking "shaggy brute" who is consistently creating unintended mischief. The beginning of the story is quite intriguing and presents many discussions, such as, "Bruce thought it would be fun to tumble those big boulders down the hill. How do you think that made the animals at the bottom feel?"
One day, Bruce toppled a boulder too big for comfort, and a mean 'ol witch comes dashing out of the woods and gives him a piece of her mind. She's mean, she's ugly, and she's full of trickery. Instead of teaching children how to deal with bullying, or instead teach the bully how bullying isn't good, Bill Pete shrinks Big Bad Bruce, and makes a fairy tale of an important issue in today's schools. Perhaps this could be used in class discussion, but it is not complete enough to cover the topic of bullying.
The illustrations in Big Bad Bruce are complimentary to the story, and they promote a sort of creative thinking. (Even though the witch is creepy looking.)
One day, Bruce toppled a boulder too big for comfort, and a mean 'ol witch comes dashing out of the woods and gives him a piece of her mind. She's mean, she's ugly, and she's full of trickery. Instead of teaching children how to deal with bullying, or instead teach the bully how bullying isn't good, Bill Pete shrinks Big Bad Bruce, and makes a fairy tale of an important issue in today's schools. Perhaps this could be used in class discussion, but it is not complete enough to cover the topic of bullying.
The illustrations in Big Bad Bruce are complimentary to the story, and they promote a sort of creative thinking. (Even though the witch is creepy looking.)
May 22, 2008
This book is about a bear who likes to pick on smaller animals. His fun is put to an end when he almost rolls a boulder over a witch. She decides that she is going to teach him a lesson about picking on smaller creatures. At first I was happy with the way that she dealt with Bruce, and I thought that he was going to learn his lesson, but in the end, the stupid witch decides he is cute and takes him in and then he ends up not learning anything from the whole experience. Kids will probably realize that he is making a mistake at the end of the book, but I don't like how the witch handled things.
Also, this book is good for a read-aloud or bedtime story for kids, but I think that the language is too difficult for children who would be interested/entertained by this story to read.
Also, this book is good for a read-aloud or bedtime story for kids, but I think that the language is too difficult for children who would be interested/entertained by this story to read.
December 3, 2007
Summary: Bruce is a bear with a nasty temper. He is mean to the other animals of the forest until one day when he runs into a witch who bakes a pie with a spell to teach him a lesson. Bruce eats the pie and shrinks down to a size smaller than a rabbit. The little animals that he was once mean to chase him through the forest until the witch finds him. She decides to keep him as her miniature bear pet.
Response: I read this story to a class of first graders and they enjoyed the story as much as I did. They had fun making predictions about what was going to happen and loved the illustrations. I liked the message that is sent about being kind to others and friendship.
Response: I read this story to a class of first graders and they enjoyed the story as much as I did. They had fun making predictions about what was going to happen and loved the illustrations. I liked the message that is sent about being kind to others and friendship.
May 22, 2008
This picture book was about a bear named Bruce, who liked to push boulders down hills when he was bored. One day, he almost crushes a witch when he rolls an especially big boulder down a hill. The witch puts a spell on Bruce with a special pie. The pie makes Bruce as small as a mouse. The witch then keeps Bruce as a pet, and he learns to love being small.
I loved this book. The pictures were great, and the story was original and cute. I would definitely keep this in my classroom. I think that children would find it funny and enjoy it.
I loved this book. The pictures were great, and the story was original and cute. I would definitely keep this in my classroom. I think that children would find it funny and enjoy it.
May 28, 2015
If the youngster in your life likes bears and witches this is a perfect book. Just as the title implies, the Bruce in this story is both big and bad. He likes nothing better than to terrorize the animals of the forest by leaping out from behind bushes. Of course, he's no longer laughing when the witch casts a spell on him....Everything is brilliant in this book. The prose sparkles, the pictures dance off the page, the pacing is phenomenal. The plot will surprise you, too.
February 11, 2020
This book was a fun fantasy book about a bear who learns about karma. I loved the illustrations in this book along with the plot line. It was easy to follow, especially for younger children. One thing that I did not like about this book was how the words moved pages in the middle of a sentence. However, I did like how the words were separated from the illustrations. Overall this is a high quality children’s book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2008
This story is a great example of "what goes around comes around". Big Bad Bruce is an inconsiderate bear that terrorizes the forrest until he meets his match in Roxy a spunky witch and her sidekick cat, Klinker. Although the bear gets put in his place, it is a gentle lesson and he's not quite bright enough for it to sink in anyway which adds an element of humor.
December 3, 2019
A story which helps to teach readers what can happen if you are a bully and are mean to others. This book helps readers learn how to understand someone else’s point of view. Bruce, the bear, needs to learn how it feels to be small and vulnerable. The illustrations do a good job helping the reader see the world through big Bruce’s eyes versus little Bruce’s eyes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2017
Could have been rated higher, but the witch is portrayed as being "a kindly old woman and as gentle as could be" (36).
September 26, 2017
Big Bad Bruce is a bear that loves to scare anything littler than he is. After an encounter with a witch changes him to be itty bitty; you would think he changes his ways--or does he?
No rhyme.
No rhyme.
November 2, 2017
I love all of Bill Peet's characters which teach kids of making good choices and being good citizens. The ending of this was surprising and a great unexpected ending!
November 19, 2017
November 2017 - great as a long picture book read-aloud, with adventure and magic and a "big bad" character getting his comeuppance.
June 7, 2018
Bruce is not a very nice bear. Does Bruce learn his lesson or not?
February 26, 2020
He was very perplexed that the witch didn’t set things right after Bruce learned his lesson.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 5, 2022Big Bad Bruce Literary Essay by Anthony L
(In life when you get mad anyone can forgive) people if they did something bad or not good things.In the story “BIG BAD BRUCE” By Bill Peet,the character learns that it is ok to forgive others.This is true because in the beginning Bruce met the witch.
It is good to say I forgive you and you can say it any time.In the beginning of the story the big bad Bruce was playing with the rocks and breaking things. The witch was there and told Bruce to stop but he did not (the witch punished him and changed him to a little bear) and then in the end the witch forgot Bruce and took him home. For example, if there are many people and they hit you or push you and they said “I’m sorry for doing all that and say can you forgive me.” If they say that you say it is okay or I forgive you back to them. This evidence shows that someone is mad at you, you can tell them if they can forgive me if the person is mad. If you say Forgive you that means he is not mad at your anymore forgiveness is alway there for you to say, This proves that why it is ok to forgive others.
It is good to say I forgive you, and you can say it any time. This is true for the way why it is good to forgive Bruce in the book because the witch warned Bruce the bear to stop breaking things so the witch went home and grabbed her book and made a little treat which is a pie for mr. Bear. which said but not any pie that makes Bruce to change him to grow smaller. Once the witch was done she set it on a broken tree and the witch knows that the Bearcalled Bruce is in the forest hiding.Another example is to be ok and be nice and help anyone or your friends if they are hurt or sand. If someone did something very bad and they say that they're very sorry you can say it is fine and ok because it's the same thing like you forgive them. If you say it can be very nice of you saying that.
This one is true because in the end of the book is that witch grabbed her cat called Roxy and told the cat Roxy to go outside to walk when they walking they found Bruce small Bruce on a rock then Bruce was hoping the which would mistake him then told Roxy to get Bruce so Roxy did ones Roxy was holding Bruce on hi teeth and which toke Bruce to their house and then ones they wear at home Bruce thought they will do something to him but they did nothing to him so the witch kept him at their home. For this instance, helping is kind and caring is nice too. There are all (different things about being nice and you can be anything like being helpful, respectful, forgived) or any other stuff being very nice.I am very nice and you have to be nice too like me. It’s because people can hurt people's feelings easily.
As you can see in the beginning, middle, and end the characters learn that it is okay to forgive others. This is important because if you are mad it will alway to say that I am sorry or I will forgive you. From now on it will be ok if someone said I am sorry.
(In life when you get mad anyone can forgive) people if they did something bad or not good things.In the story “BIG BAD BRUCE” By Bill Peet,the character learns that it is ok to forgive others.This is true because in the beginning Bruce met the witch.
It is good to say I forgive you and you can say it any time.In the beginning of the story the big bad Bruce was playing with the rocks and breaking things. The witch was there and told Bruce to stop but he did not (the witch punished him and changed him to a little bear) and then in the end the witch forgot Bruce and took him home. For example, if there are many people and they hit you or push you and they said “I’m sorry for doing all that and say can you forgive me.” If they say that you say it is okay or I forgive you back to them. This evidence shows that someone is mad at you, you can tell them if they can forgive me if the person is mad. If you say Forgive you that means he is not mad at your anymore forgiveness is alway there for you to say, This proves that why it is ok to forgive others.
It is good to say I forgive you, and you can say it any time. This is true for the way why it is good to forgive Bruce in the book because the witch warned Bruce the bear to stop breaking things so the witch went home and grabbed her book and made a little treat which is a pie for mr. Bear. which said but not any pie that makes Bruce to change him to grow smaller. Once the witch was done she set it on a broken tree and the witch knows that the Bearcalled Bruce is in the forest hiding.Another example is to be ok and be nice and help anyone or your friends if they are hurt or sand. If someone did something very bad and they say that they're very sorry you can say it is fine and ok because it's the same thing like you forgive them. If you say it can be very nice of you saying that.
This one is true because in the end of the book is that witch grabbed her cat called Roxy and told the cat Roxy to go outside to walk when they walking they found Bruce small Bruce on a rock then Bruce was hoping the which would mistake him then told Roxy to get Bruce so Roxy did ones Roxy was holding Bruce on hi teeth and which toke Bruce to their house and then ones they wear at home Bruce thought they will do something to him but they did nothing to him so the witch kept him at their home. For this instance, helping is kind and caring is nice too. There are all (different things about being nice and you can be anything like being helpful, respectful, forgived) or any other stuff being very nice.I am very nice and you have to be nice too like me. It’s because people can hurt people's feelings easily.
As you can see in the beginning, middle, and end the characters learn that it is okay to forgive others. This is important because if you are mad it will alway to say that I am sorry or I will forgive you. From now on it will be ok if someone said I am sorry.
October 20, 2017
Bruce the Bear was a very big mighty bear. The woods were very peaceful until he came, ate bugs in logs, and snorted all around. When he wanted to have fun, he would scare the wits out of all the animals in the forest.
He liked to push boulders off hills that would roll across lots of land. The boulders would bash and break logs, and sticks and birds would be flying around everywhere. Then he would laugh and snort and go “ho ho ho.”
He was so mean to the animals!
One day, he made a mistake, he came across a big boulder and a big hill.He rolled the boulder down cliff and it landed in a blueberry patch and barely missed a witch named Roxy and almost smashed her cat to smithereens. Than Bruce laughed at the witch. Roxy tricked him and shrunk him real small.
Animals chased Bruce the bear because they were mad because he used to be mean to them. Bruce got away. Roxy decided to keep Bruce that way as a pet and liked him. They lived happily. Bruce toppled pebbles at bugs for fun in Roxys garden. He did not learn his lesson about being mean.
Beginning
I like the part where Bruce the bear snorts around all the time. It is funny and fun to read. It’s put in for detail.
I like the picture where Bruce tosses a boulder and it breaks a log and birds are flying everywhere. I like it because it is full of action.
I don't think there's much to be improved in the beginning.
Middle
I like it when Roxy reads the ingredients for the pie she uses to shrink Bruce.The names of the potions she put in there sounds cool. It is fun to read.
I wish Bruce found a way to get to the other side of the creek from the rock in the middle of the creek. Maybe Bruce the bear could have hopped rock to rock if there were more rocks. It's not too bad, but it could be better.
Conclusion (End)
I like the picture of bruce flipping pebbles in the garden. It is like a maze in there. Also its cute.
Bruce flips pebbles at animals like they are boulders. I don't like it because Bruce did not learn a lesson after that. It is kind of bad.
I dislike it when Roxy finds Bruce with just a lantern because Bruce is so small. How could she find him in the whole woods?
I would recommend the book to people who like action and funny books with good pictures. For example tumbling a big boulder down a steep slope smashing and breaking trees has a lot of action. It is funny when
Bruce snorts around.
He liked to push boulders off hills that would roll across lots of land. The boulders would bash and break logs, and sticks and birds would be flying around everywhere. Then he would laugh and snort and go “ho ho ho.”
He was so mean to the animals!
One day, he made a mistake, he came across a big boulder and a big hill.He rolled the boulder down cliff and it landed in a blueberry patch and barely missed a witch named Roxy and almost smashed her cat to smithereens. Than Bruce laughed at the witch. Roxy tricked him and shrunk him real small.
Animals chased Bruce the bear because they were mad because he used to be mean to them. Bruce got away. Roxy decided to keep Bruce that way as a pet and liked him. They lived happily. Bruce toppled pebbles at bugs for fun in Roxys garden. He did not learn his lesson about being mean.
Beginning
I like the part where Bruce the bear snorts around all the time. It is funny and fun to read. It’s put in for detail.
I like the picture where Bruce tosses a boulder and it breaks a log and birds are flying everywhere. I like it because it is full of action.
I don't think there's much to be improved in the beginning.
Middle
I like it when Roxy reads the ingredients for the pie she uses to shrink Bruce.The names of the potions she put in there sounds cool. It is fun to read.
I wish Bruce found a way to get to the other side of the creek from the rock in the middle of the creek. Maybe Bruce the bear could have hopped rock to rock if there were more rocks. It's not too bad, but it could be better.
Conclusion (End)
I like the picture of bruce flipping pebbles in the garden. It is like a maze in there. Also its cute.
Bruce flips pebbles at animals like they are boulders. I don't like it because Bruce did not learn a lesson after that. It is kind of bad.
I dislike it when Roxy finds Bruce with just a lantern because Bruce is so small. How could she find him in the whole woods?
I would recommend the book to people who like action and funny books with good pictures. For example tumbling a big boulder down a steep slope smashing and breaking trees has a lot of action. It is funny when
Bruce snorts around.
April 16, 2021
This was a cute story about a bear that is quite the bully. He goes around scaring the little animals by rolling boulders down and destroying their habitats. Then one day he bothers a witch who punishes him by shrinking him down and showing how scary the world can be when you’re little. It’s very good until the end when he doesn’t learn a thing and starts torturing the even smaller animals like grasshoppers and caterpillars again. Loved the illustrations and the story, but would have given it four stars if it ended with a moral to the story. I’m kind of a sucker for the underdog and happy endings where everyone learns something.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2022
As an educator, Bill Peet has phenomenal vocabulary and great stories that teach a lesson. I’ve been using all his stories for years. Just getting around to reviewing a few. This little story is about a bear who bullies everyone. A witch gets him to drink a potion that has Bruce shrink. He wakes up and ends up learning his lesson as he isn’t the biggest brute around. He settles down to live with the witch. His demeanor has softened and he’s learned his lesson. Peet’s other books are chock full of great words.
October 4, 2022
Oh I love this book. Bruce is a character who is a bullish and chump like character. He is dangerous, he is thoughtless, he picks on the other animals. He is awful until he has an encounter with a sassy witch, with big ideas for that pesky bear Bruce and bring him down to size. This book is fun, it has a great message, it is hilarious, and it has a moral awakening attached. It is great for all ages. The illustrations are amazing and it is written in the tradition of the master Bill Peet. Great book for little boys and bold and brazen little girls.
July 11, 2021
Bruce was a big bear with a mean streak. Just for fun he would roll rocks at smaller animals so he could laugh at scaring them. One day he rolled a large boulder and it could have hurt an old lady and her cat. That woman was a witch and she thought up a way to pay Bruce back for his misbehaving. Poor Bruce soon found himself in a predicament.
Cute story very nicely illustrated.
Cute story very nicely illustrated.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews