I guess I should have seen that these were a compilation of short stories. The Arc ebook format made it really hard to tell. But the pictures were cute and went very well with the stories!

Bruno is a book with different stories told to a little bear by his mother before they go into hibernation. Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. The pictures were nicely done but the stories were not really relatable and some of them were kind of mean. I usually love childrens books that rhyme but not this time .

The illustrations in this story are delightful. I liked the premise of a mother bear reading nine short stories to her child. The stories themselves were a mix of silly, exemplary and a bit cheeky. I didn't love the exemplary aspect of some of the stories (mainly the little tapir). Poor little thing is shamed into not picking his nose again and laughed at by his sister. Unfortunately, this is not a book for me which is a pity because I am a big fan of NorthSouth Books. However, I am unfamiliar with the author, so maybe I need more context to understand where these stories are coming from.

Perfect little book to read with my son. Such vibrant colours and easy to read story makes it a great story time together before bed!
I love the stories as well, this book will be one to read as he grows with a lovely stories for every night.
Thank You NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an early copy to review.

NetGalley ARC
Read-Aloud: No (best for one-on-one)
Tags: animals, bedtime, hibernation, rhymes

Although I found the rhyme scheme awkward at time and therefore not great for storytime read-aloud, this title would be good for one-on-one bedtimes. I humbly suggest "Adrian, the Vegetarian Crocodile" from its offerings.

Available October 2022

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

This book of poems was adorable! Each poem was clever and funny. I enjoyed reading these very much!

The illustrations were small but very well done. Cute overall!

Bruno- Short Stories for Long Nights is a really sweet mix of short stories about all different kinds of animals. I loved the fun illustrations accompanying the stories. The writing felt unique and unlike other stories I've read before.

Bruno – Short Stories for Long Nights by Serena Romanelli is a bedtime or lap-sit picture book for the very young. The illustrations are lovely and are a great starting point for discussions aside from the tale itself.

It’s time for little bear to hibernate and to get him to go to bed mamma bear promises stories. There are many short tales, told in verse, about animals. There’s an elephant who needs swim trunks, a tapir who hurts his nose, a rabbit who is afraid of food, and a hippo ballerina. Although the stories are cute the rhyming is a bit uncomfortable. It doesn’t roll off the tongue in the manner of, say, Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein. Maybe it’s the translation.
#NetGalley #BrunoShort StoriesForLongNights #SerenaRomanelli #Bedtime #Lapsit #Poetry

I grew up with Hans de Beer and was so excited to read this, I was not disappointed. These stories are short, sweet, and full of fun! I enjoyed the diversity of the animals told within the stories.

This book was a fun read but not what I expected from the mood of the cover. I have no doubt that the kids who are read or read the story will have a good chuckle and enjoy the rhymes inside. However, as a parent, if I am honest, I felt like the rhymes didn't match at all the expectation I had from the cover. Mother Bear spoke quite gently to her bear cub, but the rhymes I felt didn't match her mood. I couldn't imagine her speaking them. I would definitely check this book out from the library, but I probably would not purchase this book for home. My child would definitely read and enjoy it though. Thank you for letting us look inside.

This pretends to give us the same good-night stories a mummy bear reads to her baby when it's time to hibernate. In reality they're poems, semi-narrative rhyming verses regarding other animals. Some feel a little clunky as regards meter, but these are in translation and did have to fit not only some form of the originals but the spot illustrations too, so they're perfectly acceptable. As they are they can cover ideas that have featured in other books (why is the idea of a hippo ballerina so common?!), yet they don't all seem to have that final oomph to make them most memorable. The greatest character was the flying squirrel anxious that he can only glide and descend – and until he gets an engine must rely on a lift from his seagull friend to go upwards. But the verses are going to be very welcome for parents with the target audience to shush up at night, and the framing device of the cute bears is very winsome, too. This sustains a four-star standard throughout, which is quite commendable.

Bruno - Short Stories for Long Nights is a cute collection of stories featuring different animals undergoing different life events. The stories are short enough to entertain and can be read over several story time nights/days. The stories are told in rhyme for the most part. Though I would have wanted it to rhyme more like the books of Dr. Seuss.

The illustrations are adorable and in my opinion the book could use a few more.

Overall, Bruno is a charming book just right for preschoolers and perfect for bedtime stories. Four sweet stars.

I received a digital ARC from North South Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

This is an absolutely adorable collection of stories. Bruno the brown bear is preparing for hibernation and his mother reads him multiple stories about other animals as they navigate small problems. I loved how there was an animal for any kid to relate to and little takeaways for each two page rhyming story!

I will definitely be recommending this to friends with children. The illustrations make it the perfect, cozy bedtime storybook.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for providing me with a copy for an honest review!

The illustrations are so soft and cozy. I think that's my favourite part. I especially love the end page illustrations of Bruno, the little brown bear, sleeping.

Also, the concept of multiple bedtime stories within a bedtime story is very unique!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a cute little book of stories (9 that are two pages each as well as a short introduction and ending about Bruno the bear getting ready to hibernate).

The stories are short but cute, and many young children will find them funny (ie. an elephant who tries wearing swim trunk, a tapir who picks his nose, a dancing hippo). All of the stories are told in a rhyming verse. My one complaint is the use of the word “stupid” where “silly” could have easily been substituted.

The illustrations in the book are a beautiful representation of all different types of animals.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful collection of short stories within a story. Bruno is a bear getting ready for hibernation, as he settles down his mama tells him stories to calm his mind. My 3 year old loved this book and it opened the door for a conversation about how bears go to sleep for the winter months something I would have never thought to discuss with a 3 year old. The pictures were simple yet entertaining enough to keep his attention and the book was the perfect length. Long enough that he didn't ask for another story (though this may be due to the way there are multiple stories in one, his imagination got the workout it craves) but short enough that we were able to finish it in one sitting. The whole book is written in a rhyming poem format which I always enjoy but my 3 year old may be just a tiny bit too young still to fully appreciate. I could see this book being suitable for children from toddlerhood through maybe 5 years old (kindergarten).

What a sweet idea - a mini-anthology within a story! The illustrations are so detailed and beautiful! And the topics of the stories are so gentle - perfect for bedtime. Would love to see this as a series - another book for waking bear up.

I'm not a parent, but I certainly remember being a young, only child and asking my parents for the 7th or 8th bedtime story, which they always agreed to! This book solves that problem entirely! Want 1 story? Sure. Want 9? That's fine too, they are all in one book. Each story is very short, just 1 full page spread, including rhyming couplets, beautiful illustrations and a silly animal that is doing something slightly unexpected. The story is bookended (see what I did there?) with the idea that a mother bear is reading a bedtime story to her son Bruno to introduce and close the story as a whole. I can definitely see lots of parents of young children enjoying this book together at bedtime. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this sweet book.

a cute book that reminded me of picture books I read when I was a child, filled with little stories in the form of poetries adorable and accessible for young children.

I have always loved children's books about bears, and this is one Ronan (3 year old) and I really enjoyed! This book is about a little bear who I just not ready to hibernate yet. Each page features a new animal, with a fun/silly, rhyming short story about them. Rhythmic storytelling is so fun and a great way to draw in young children's attention! Overall, this a fun book and perfect for a fun bedtime story.

Thank you NorthSouth Books for a digital copy of this book! This book is due for publication 10/11/22 and we recommend it!

💙 Mommy (@𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐦𝐨𝐦) and Ronan (@𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐤𝐢𝐝) approved ✅

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒚!