FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary Alice Howard, Social Media and Publicity Specialist | (630) 229-3104 | publicity@4u2bbooks.com
CHICAGO, October 7, 2025 — 4U2B Books & Media is proud to announce the upcoming publication of The Magical, Wonderful Bul Bul Bird by master storyteller Jonathan Kruk, illustrated by Rob Bridges. Aimed at readers ages 6–10, this richly illustrated children’s book offers a timeless story for modern audiences. The title has already been named a Booklife Editor’s Pick.
The Magical, Wonderful Bul Bul Bird has been named a Booklife Editor's Pick.
The book tells the story of a brave princess who undertakes a perilous journey after her brothers vanish while searching for the mythical Bul Bul Bird. Written with lyrical storytelling and paired with vintage-inspired illustrations, this book is designed to captivate children and adults alike.
Author Jonathan Kruk notes that his goal was to bring back “the wonder of the hero’s journey” in a way that both children and parents would treasure. The Magical, Wonderful Bul Bul Bird invites children to connect with a strong heroine, be swept into a rhythm of poetic language perfect for reading aloud and linger over illustrations filled with hidden details. Parents and educators will appreciate the book’s depth, its emphasis on virtue and imagination, and its lasting quality as a story to be read again and again.
With its striking cover, timeless art, and engaging narrative, The Magical, Wonderful Bul Bul Bird is positioned to appeal to families, educators, librarians, and anyone who values beautifully crafted children’s literature.
The Magical Wonderful Bul Bul Bird releases on November 4, 2025, and will be available from 4U2B Books & Media and all major booksellers.
For interviews with Jonathan Kruk, contact Mary Alice Howard, Social Media & Publicity Specialist, publicity@4u2bbooks.com.
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REVIEW COPIES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
About the Author
Jonathan Kruk was born in El Paso, Texas and raised in Westchester, N.Y. Mr. Kruk earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at Holy Cross College and a Master of Arts in Education from New York University and studied creative drama in England. He acted at New York’s H.B. Studios and performed Ritual Urban Theater with Gabrielle Roth. It all began with telling tales to his kid brother, which led to an epiphany about how much children love listening to stories told live, thus launching a full-time career in storytelling.
A Master Storyteller in the Hudson Valley for forty years, Jonathan has tailored stories to enchant children at hundreds of schools, libraries, festivals, and historic sites.
Renowned for his solo shows of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and A Christmas Carol, he has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, the Today Show, and the Travel Channel.
Renowned for his solo shows of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and A Christmas Carol, he has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, the Today Show, and the Travel Channel.
Jonathan is the storyteller in residence for the Archdiocese of New York Schools.
About the Illustrator
Rob Bridges studied art at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington, where he received his BFA in things not illustrative. Life being the winding road that it is eventually led him down an artistic path influenced by old fairy tales and stories he imagined entirely in his mind. His works echo the classic illustration styles of a bygone era, with fragments of stories emerging from a place he calls The Thousand Weed Marsh. Each piece can be seen as a moment pulled from a larger, ongoing tale, like images rescued from well-worn and forgotten children’s books.
The Magical, Wonderful Bul Bul Bird is his first picture book. He is also currently working on bringing his The Thousand Weed Marsh world to book form, further expanding the world he has envisioned.
Rob and his family make their home in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region, where they live on a piece of land shared with a dog, a cat, and a few honeybees.
About 4U2B Books & Media
4U2B Books & Media is focused on entertaining, educating, and empowering families and caregivers to help children develop self-awareness, social skills, responsible decision-making, and thriving relationships while cultivating a love of reading and lifelong learning. 4U2B Books & Media is an imprint of Loyola Press, award-winning publisher of books, curriculum, video, and other programs for children and adults.
The Magical, Wonderful Bul Bul Bird
by Jonathan Kruk
November 4, 2025
4U2B Books & Media | $24.99 | Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-8294-6034-6
by Jonathan Kruk
November 4, 2025
4U2B Books & Media | $24.99 | Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-8294-6034-6