If the mice on the cover of Be Quiet! look familiar to you, then you’re probably familiar with the grumpy bear Bruce. He debuted early last year in Mother Bruce and returned last fall in the sequel, Hotel Bruce. In that last story, Bruce returned home to find that some mice had moved into his house, turning it into a hotel and he had to work very hard to get them out.
Now those mice are back with a book of their own! Rupert has artistic ideas for his book, wanting it to be all pictures and no words. But the other mice can’t stop talking about it, sharing their ideas for what his book should be and morphing it along the way. Poor Rupert is forced to repeatedly ask (and yell) at everyone to “BE QUIET!”
Author Ryan T. Higgins is back with more of his fun brand of humor. Fans of the Bruce books will be delighted to find a cameo by the grumpy bear and one of his fledglings, but this book is mostly a departure. Higgins is planning to return to Bruce next fall with Bruce’s Big Move, but I would love to see more from Rubert and his friends in the future.
The artwork is as charming and delightful as fans of Bruce have come to expect. I love the way nature is represented and after reading Be Quiet!, I had an immediate urge to take a peaceful nature hike. If you and your kids decide on a similar inspired activity, I just hope that you don’t run into any noisy mice.
Be Quiet! is a lot of fun and kids will giggle endlessly when you read it to them. And while Rupert may not learn his lesson, it provides a great reason to talk to your child about patience when they don’t like what their friends are doing. You can remind them not to be a Rupert when they’re getting unnecessarily flustered.