Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow

by Ryan T. Higgins

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Ryan T. Higgins is in competition with himself. It's a competition to determine which of his character creations we relate to the most. Penelope the T. Rex and Bruce the Bear have us falling in love with this Higgins-verse he's created (and we can't forget about Norman. Definitely don't forget about Norman). Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow is the perfectly creative dash of spookiness we were all hoping for to celebrate creepy season.

Celebrate all things scary with #1 New York Times best-selling author Ryan T. Higgins's beloved Mother Bruce.

Bruce is a bear who does not like holidays, and he really doesn’t like Halloween. His family of mice and geese decides the only way to get Bruce excited about Halloween is to tell a scary story.

But their campfire tale takes a turn when a ghostly visitor appears. Will Bruce get in the Halloween spirit? Or will the Halloween spirit get Bruce?

Read all the Mother Bruce books!

Picture Books:

• Mother Bruce
• Hotel Bruce
• Bruce's Big Move
• Santa Bruce
• Bruce's Big Storm
• The Bruce Swap
• Hey, Bruce!
• Be Quiet

Board Books:

• 1 Grumpy Bruce
• Peek-a-Bruce

Little Bruce Books:

• Spring Stinks
• Thanks for Nothing!
• Out Cold

Early Readers:

• Bruce's Big Fun Day
• Ballet Bruce

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368059589
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	07/11/2023
Series:	Mother Bruce Series
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	489,277
Product dimensions:	12.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Ryan T. Higgins (ryanthiggins.com) is the author and illustrator of 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!; and Bruce's Big Move. He lives in Maine with his wife and kids and lots of pets.

Editorial Reviews

Halloween? Bah, humbug! Everyone’s favorite curmudgeonly bear, Bruce, is predictably irritated to find that his least favorite holiday, Halloween, is coming up. Tricks, treats, and visitors? Bruce is not impressed. His chosen family of mice and geese completely disagrees and, to inspire him, decides to dress up and act out a scary story (“The Legend of Soggy Hollow,” featuring the Horseless Horseman), with our ursine protagonist in the role of schoolteacher Ichabod Bruce. Text bubbles and boxes further develop the story of these charming characters as they embark, albeit less than happily in the case of Bruce, on a performance that is dramatic, mysterious, and laugh-out-loud funny. Higgins’ quirky sensibility is as comical and appealing as ever, and his illustrations are full of kid-friendly and engaging details. Bruce’s unwilling foray into acting—which involves a meetup with a possible ghost and an attempt to escape the amorous moose playing his love interest—will have readers dissolving into giggles. They’ll delight in the humor of Bruce’s less-than-enthusiastic participation, and the story wraps up with a ghostly—but fun—twist. This is a feel-good and funny choice, perfect for Halloween or any time of the year. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Laughter abounds in this spirited tale with a sprinkle of spookiness. (Picture book. 3-8)- Kirkus (May 15, 2023)

From the Publisher

06/16/2023

K-Gr 3—The latest title in Higgins's beloved "Mother Bruce" series is a Halloween-centric, spooky story for fans of Bruce and his forest friends. Bruce is not a big holiday enthusiast, and that includes Halloween. To drum up Bruce's excitement, the mice decide to act out "The Legend of Soggy Hollow" for all their forest friends. The scariest elements of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" are toned down; "The Horseless Horseman of Soggy Hollow" is a pumpkin-headed figure looking for his lost horse. The mice employ Bruce to star in their reenactment as Ichabod Bruce, the new schoolmaster. In colonial costume and headpiece, Bruce rides his trusty rocking horse to propose to the lovely Miss van Moofle, played by the moose Camilla. Play-acting becomes too real for Ichabod Bruce, who flees the scene before Miss van Moofle can get a kiss. In the ensuring chase, Bruce and Camilla come in contact with the real supernatural spirit of the Horseless Horseman, though neither realizes it at the time. Bruce abandons the rocking horse in the end, much to the Horseless Horseman's delight; Camilla gets a Bruce-hug; and all the forest animals receive candy from the upturned treat pumpkin Bruce collides with head-on. This book requires familiarity with the series for readers to appreciate it fully, e.g., Bruce's grumpy nature and his relationship with the mice and other forest animals. VERDICT An excellent addition to shelves with an established "Mother Bruce" collection.—Jennifer LaBurre

School Library Journal

2023-04-26
Halloween? Bah, humbug!

Everyone’s favorite curmudgeonly bear, Bruce, is predictably irritated to find that his least favorite holiday, Halloween, is coming up. Tricks, treats, and visitors? Bruce is not impressed. His chosen family of mice and geese completely disagrees and, to inspire him, decides to dress up and act out a scary story (“The Legend of Soggy Hollow,” featuring the Horseless Horseman), with our ursine protagonist in the role of schoolteacher Ichabod Bruce. Text bubbles and boxes further develop the story of these charming characters as they embark, albeit less than happily in the case of Bruce, on a performance that is dramatic, mysterious, and laugh-out-loud funny. Higgins’ quirky sensibility is as comical and appealing as ever, and his illustrations are full of kid-friendly and engaging details. Bruce’s unwilling foray into acting—which involves a meetup with a possible ghost and an attempt to escape the amorous moose playing his love interest—will have readers dissolving into giggles. They’ll delight in the humor of Bruce’s less-than-enthusiastic participation, and the story wraps up with a ghostly—but fun—twist. This is a feel-good and funny choice, perfect for Halloween or any time of the year. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Laughter abounds in this spirited tale with a sprinkle of spookiness. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews