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Bravo Bruno! tells a story about Bruno, a monkey with a veeerrry long tail! Bruno is constantly teased about his tail but one day, it comes to his rescue.
Bruno the monkey has an unusually long tail. No, he has "a veerrry long tail!" All the animals in the forest make fun of him for it.
Poor Bruno is very sad and ashamed of his tail, but his mama tells him that it is his most special feature because it makes him unique. Sure enough, one day, Bruno finds that his tail comes to the rescue!
Chinku Bunny has fallen into a well and there is no one around to help her. Bruno doesn't know what to do, and then it strikes him! He can use his unusually long tail to pull Chinku out.
Chinku is a heavy little bunny but Bruno persists and rescues her, becoming the hero of the forest! All the animals that made fun of him now celebrate his bravery and praise his long tail!
Here's why we loved Bravo Bruno! by Arundhati Nath.
Published by Momsays, Bravo Bruno is a simple story but what makes it powerful is that it is written so beautifully. I read this book with my five-year-old nephew and he loved it! What I loved most about the writing is that it brings in so many angles to a simple story. For instance, Bruno may be the butt of all jokes but he is a kind and helpful little monkey. He is also persistent and never gives up. Such characters are great role models for little children.
Perhaps our favorite part about Bravo Bruno! is that it celebrates the underdog. Sure, Bruno isn't an obvious hero. He is different to look at and his tail, a defining physical feature, is an anamoly. In a world that constantly wants to categorize children as normal or atypical, this book is a wonderful way to teach diversity to little readers. It also gets them to appreciate differences in people and to not judge them by their looks. It also tells them to celebrate their uniqueness, which is such a powerful thing for a child!
My daughter, for instance, has a little skin tag on her ear. She keeps telling me that when she is older, she will remove it but every day, I tell her that it is my favorite part about her because it makes her unique, and it makes her special. Books like Bravo Bruno! are wonderful ways to get children to develop confidence in themselves.
My nephew and I loved the language that the author used. They were so evocative, echoed sounds that children love to hear, were dramatic, precise, clear and exciting to read out. "Waah, waah, Mama. They're teasing me all over agian, for my long, long tail," Bruno sobbed. Upon hearing this, my nephew exclaimed, "poor, poor Bruno. Why are they mean to him for his long, long tail." The iterations of the word really hooked him and he connected to the story so powerfully.
"Here comes Bruno, our witty-wise Bruno. Here comes Bruno our witty-gritty Bruno!" cries Dabbie Duck, the very same animal who made fun of Bruno. The key to a child's heart is language with rhythm. Children love rhyme and song. Bravo Bruno! has a cadence that makes it irresistible for little ones. Also, its story isn't too complex, but its message is giant sized, and that's what really stands out.
We think that all children should read Bravo Bruno!
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