Beach bummer

PreS-Gr 2--It's a hot summer day in Soggy Hollow. While the geese and mice want relief at the beach, Bruce just wants to sit at home. Eventually worn down by their imploring looks, Bruce relents, and they head to the beach with Bruce lugging all the equipment. Bruce's curmudgeonly ways don't spoil the outing for the others, but rain drives them all back home. A laugh-out-loud ending will surprise readers as Bruce has a turn of heart and creates a wonderful beach substitute for his companions. Delightful illustrations capture emotion with great humor. VERDICT Fans of the "Mother Bruce" series will not be disappointed, and newcomers will want to read more of the adventures of this grouchy bear and his friends.--John Scott

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 (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.