Hello, friends! Today, we’re going to read a fun story called “Mother Bruce” by Ryan T. Higgins. Are you ready for an adventure with Bruce the bear? Let’s dive in!
Bruce is a big, grumpy bear who lives all by himself in the forest. He doesn’t like sunny days, rainy days, or even cute little animals. But there’s one thing Bruce loves: eggs!
Bruce collects eggs from all over the forest. Instead of eating them raw like other bears, Bruce likes to cook them into fancy dishes he finds on the internet. One day, he finds a recipe for hard-boiled goose eggs with honey salmon sauce. Yum!
Bruce sets off to gather the ingredients. He catches some salmon, collects honey from a beehive, and visits Mrs. Goose’s nest to get some eggs. But when he gets home, something unexpected happens!
While Bruce is out getting more wood for his stove, the eggs hatch! Instead of eggs, Bruce finds himself with a bunch of fluffy goslings. Oh no! Bruce is not happy about this surprise.
Bruce tries to tell the goslings to go away. He says, “I am NOT your mother!” But the goslings don’t listen. They think Bruce is their mom and follow him everywhere!
Bruce tries his best to take care of the goslings. He watches them grow from baby geese to teenage geese and finally into adult geese. It’s not easy, but Bruce does his best.
When fall comes, other geese start flying south for the winter. Bruce hopes the goslings will leave too, but they don’t want to go without him. So, Bruce comes up with a plan.
Bruce decides to take the goslings on a bus to Miami, where it’s warm. Now, every winter, Bruce and his geese enjoy the beach together, wearing funny shirts and sipping lemonade. Bruce even dreams of new recipes that don’t involve eggs!
And that’s the story of how Bruce the bear became “Mother Bruce.” Even though he didn’t plan on it, Bruce learned to love his goslings. Isn’t that a sweet story?
Thanks for joining us for story time! We hope you enjoyed the adventure with Bruce and his goslings. Until next time, happy reading!
Egg-citing Observations: Just like Bruce loves eggs, let’s explore eggs in our own way! With the help of an adult, carefully observe an egg. What color is it? Is it smooth or rough? Can you gently tap it and listen to the sound it makes? Draw a picture of your egg and write a few words about what you noticed. If you have more than one type of egg, compare them! How are they similar or different?
Animal Families: Bruce became a parent to the goslings by surprise! Think about the animals you know. Can you name some animal families? For example, a cat and her kittens or a dog and her puppies. Draw a picture of an animal family you like. What do you think the parent animals do to take care of their babies? Share your drawing and ideas with a friend or family member.
Migration Exploration: Bruce and the goslings traveled to Miami for the winter. Let’s learn about migration! With an adult, look up a map and find where some animals travel during different seasons. Can you find where geese go? What about butterflies or whales? Draw a simple map showing one animal’s journey. Imagine you are that animal—what would you pack for your trip?
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey, I’m Ranma God, and I’m Craig Toby. Welcome to Story Time with Bryan Lagarde and Craig Toby! Remember, if you like what you see, follow us on Instagram or visit our website, Riot Craig Cobb. You can watch all of our read-alouds there or send us a message.
I have a message for Craig. Today’s book was sent to us by Maggie Bergstrom. Wait, is that Oliver and Liam’s sister? It sure is! Well, I’m excited to read this book because today’s book is “Mother Bruce” by Ryan T. Higgins. Let’s get started!
Thank you! “Mother Bruce” by Ryan T. Higgins. Bruce was a bear who lived all by himself. He was a grump. He did not like sunny days, he did not like rain, and he did not like cute little animals.
Come on, bear! Why be such a grump?
Bruce only liked one thing: eggs. He collected them all over the forest.
Good morning, Mrs. Sparrow! But Bruce didn’t eat eggs raw like other bears. Instead, he cooked them into fancy recipes that he found on the internet. One day, Bruce came across a recipe for hard-boiled goose eggs drizzled with honey salmon sauce. So he went out to get the ingredients. First, he caught a few salmon, then he collected honey from a local beehive. He liked to support local businesses, you see. Lastly, he went to Mrs. Goose’s nest to pay her a visit.
“Are these eggs free-range organic?” At home, Bruce prepared the eggs for hard boiling, but the fire in his stove fizzled, so he went out to get more wood. When Bruce came back, he was met with an unwelcome surprise. Bruce became the victim of mistaken identity.
Oh, nothing’s worse than being mistaken for someone else!
Yeah, that can sure make you grumpy.
But come on, bear! Don’t be such a grump!
Bruce wanted hard-boiled eggs, not goslings. He supposed he could settle for buttered goslings on toast, but for some reason, he lost his appetite.
Bruce scooped up the little geese and stomped back to their nest. He thought he would have to ask Mrs. Goose about her return policy, only to find that Mrs. Goose had flown south early and would be back in April. Bruce left the goslings there anyway and went back home. But he was followed!
Bruce was very stern and said things like, “Go away!” and “I am NOT your mother!” He also said, “I liked you better when you were eggs.” That’s very hurtful!
Bruce could take it no longer and became extra grumpy with them. It didn’t work; goslings always follow their mother, even if she is a he and he is a bear. Bruce was stuck with them. He tried to make the best of it. It was hard work. As the season passed, Bruce watched the pesky goslings grow older: annoying baby geese, stubborn teenage geese, boring adult geese.
Then one fall afternoon, he saw other goose families flying south. Finally, he’d be rid of those geese, and he could take a long winter nap. After all this time, he still wanted to get away from the geese.
Bruce explained migration, but they didn’t listen. Bruce needed the geese to leave, so he got creative. Nothing worked; the geese would not leave Bruce.
So, Bruce decided to pack some bags and take his geese into town. They boarded a bus and migrated to Miami. Now every winter, Bruce and his geese head south together. They laze about the beach in tacky shirts, sipping ice-cold lemonade while Bruce dreams of new recipes—recipes that don’t hatch.
So, Bruce finally embraced the goslings!
Why are you sad?
Because we’re never gonna get to embrace Ryan Gosling!
Oh man, this is a sad book! I didn’t know this was gonna be a drama. Ryan, if you’re watching, please reach out to us!
Yeah, you’re still cool! Come on, Ryan Gosling!
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This version removes any inappropriate or unclear language while maintaining the essence of the original transcript.
