Review - Santa Bruce

Santa Bruce (Bruce #5)
by Ryan T. Higgins
Date: 2018
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: hardcover
Source: library

Bruce is a lot of things. He is a bear. He is a grump. He is a pretty decent cook. And he is a mother.
One thing Bruce is not?
Santa Claus.
But that doesn't stop the whole forest from lining up to give him their Christmas wishes when he becomes the victim of mistaken identity - again.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Boy, are those mice ever annoying!

Poor Bruce. All he wants to do is enjoy his winter staycation at home. But he doesn't like the cold much, so he wears his long underwear and hat. Unfortunately, they're red, which leads to him being mistaken for Santa Claus. The mice take it one step further by telling everyone in the forest that Bruce will be delivering presents to all the kids!

Bruce does manage to make the best of things. Even though he's grumpy, he goes along with the scheme (he's not a terrible bear, really). With his geese dressed up as ineffectual reindeer, Bruce sets out to make Christmas merry for the whole neighbourhood.

The pictures are just as fun in this book as they are in all the others. And I don't really mind the story. But... those mice are really starting to grate on my nerves. They're so presumptuous! It was funny at first, but now I'm starting to wonder if they're pathological.

In any case, if you've been following Bruce's story from the beginning, you'll want to check out Santa Bruce as well, if for no other reason than to be able to say you've read the whole series.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5