Winter of Bruno the Bear

Bruno the Bear and his dog Lolla are the heroes of 4 picture books created by modern Swedish artist Gunilla Ingves. Each book is dedicated to one of the seasons – winter, spring, summer, and autumn – and describes one day in the lives of the characters, filled with activities and entertainment "by the season".

In the book "Winter of Bruno the Bear", the bear and the dog feed the remaining winter birds with seeds, learn to distinguish animal tracks in the snow – field mouse, hare, roe deer, as well as dog and bird tracks. Bruno and Lolla get caught in a snowstorm, freeze, warm up at home by the stove, and bake pancakes for lunch. In the evening, when it got dark, the sky cleared up, and the stars and the moon became particularly visible, Bruno and Lolla took binoculars, a star map, and went to admire the constellations and the moon.

The main story of the book is "framed" by notes from Bruno the Bear's observation diary, which are placed at the beginning and the end of the book. They contain many sketches and informative facts from the world of the surrounding nature. The first diary spread is devoted to tracks in the snow of various animals, and the second – to the moon and stars, which are especially well viewed on a clear winter sky. From here, one can learn that the Moon has seas and mountains, and that the brightest star is Sirius. One can also learn what the constellations Orion, Ursa Minor, and Ursa Major look like and how the Solar System is arranged.

The books in the series about Bruno the Bear can be called a practical encyclopedia of the seasons for children aged 3-6 years. With tender illustrations in pastel tones, charming main characters, and numerous details to observe on each page.