Bruna
Little Bruna is always cold. She tries everything to get warm -— hot water bottles, heavy coats, snacking on Red Hot Fireball candies -— but nothing seems to work. Not even traveling to the African desert or tropical islands.
Bruna is startled awake one morning beneath her "eighteen blankets, two duvets and a rug" by a voice calling for help. Bruna wants to help and finds a brown bear stuck in the icy river. Bruna braves the cold water and saves the bear, taking her home to warm up.
Bruna buries the bear beneath the "eighteen blankets, two duvets and a rug," feeds her soup, and reads her a heartwarming tale. All the while Bruna has to remove the layers of clothes that she usually needed to keep warm. After a day of playing with her new friend Bruna doesn't need scarves or hats or hot water battles to keep warm. Friendship has warmed her from the inside out.
We enjoyed Anne Cottringer's unique story. Gillian McClure's whimsical watercolor illustrations brought the story to life.
My son loves to count and was confused there weren't exactly eighteen blankets on Bruna's bed, however.
