Gunilla Ingves: Bruno Bear's Winter

Bruno the bear and his dog Lola are the stars of 4 picture books created by contemporary Swedish illustrator Gunilla Ingves. Each book is dedicated to one of the seasons – winter, spring, summer, and autumn – and describes a day in the lives of the characters, filled with seasonal activities and fun.

In the book "Bruno's Winter," the bear and his dog feed seeds to the birds that stayed for the winter and learn to distinguish animal tracks in the snow – those of a field mouse, a hare, and a roe deer, as well as dog and bird tracks. Bruno and Lola get caught in a snowstorm, get cold, warm up by the stove at home, and bake pancakes for lunch. And in the evening, when it got dark and the sky cleared, making the stars and the moon particularly visible, Bruno and Lola took their binoculars and a star chart and went out to admire the constellations and the moon.

The main story of the book is "framed" by excerpts from Bruno's observation diary, which are placed at the beginning and end of the book. They contain many sketches and educational facts about the natural world. The first diary spread is dedicated to animal tracks in the snow, and the second one to the moon and stars, which are best observed in the clear winter sky. Here, you can learn that there are seas and mountains on the moon and that the brightest star is Sirius. You can also learn what the constellations of Orion, Ursa Minor, and Ursa Major look like, and how the solar system is structured.

The books in the Bruno series can be called a practical encyclopedia of the seasons for children aged 3–6. They feature gentle pastel illustrations, charming main characters, and plenty of details to pore over on every page.

Author: Gunilla Ingves

Translation: Olga Myaeots

Pages: 32 (offset paper). Hardcover

Dimensions: 220×220×10 mm