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The Muffin Fiend
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart helps Inspector LeChat catch the thief who is stealing all the muffins of Europe.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
25 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Pinkwater
156 books415 followersDaniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 4, 2020
When muffins begin disappearing all over Europe, Inspector Le Chat of the French police is dispatched to Vienna to enlist the aid of Herr Mozart, who - when he's not composing brilliant musical works such as The Magic Prune - is known to be a top-notch sleuth. As the investigative duo hotfoot around Vienna, from the Municipal Muffin Bakery to the Wienerwald, Mozart begins to suspect that their quarry - the mysterious Don Pastrami - is not of this world...
This hilarious little book, with its tongue-in-cheek tribute to muffins, Mozart, and extraterrestrials, is full of those brilliant comic exchanges for which Daniel Pinkwater is so well known. As Inspector Le Chat informs Mozart: "The muffin fiend is the most dangerous sort of criminal... Muffin fiends can barely resist pastry in any form - but most especially, they are mad for muffins!" Luckily, our composer-hero knows how to win an operatic duel, a skill which comes in handy when he confronts Don Pastrami...
Having fallen in love with Irving and Muktuk, two muffin-stealing polar bears whose (mis)adventures are chronicled in Pinkwater's Bad Bears books, I was already aware that muffins play an important role in the oeuvre of this brilliant children's author. I simply had no idea HOW important they were, or that the Pinkwater fascination with this particular pastry dated back to the mid-1980s.
Simply put, The Muffin Fiend, now sadly out of print, is a book every Pinkwater fan needs to peruse. Don't be put off by the computer "dot-print" style illustrations - even they will begin to seem hysterical after a while.
This hilarious little book, with its tongue-in-cheek tribute to muffins, Mozart, and extraterrestrials, is full of those brilliant comic exchanges for which Daniel Pinkwater is so well known. As Inspector Le Chat informs Mozart: "The muffin fiend is the most dangerous sort of criminal... Muffin fiends can barely resist pastry in any form - but most especially, they are mad for muffins!" Luckily, our composer-hero knows how to win an operatic duel, a skill which comes in handy when he confronts Don Pastrami...
Having fallen in love with Irving and Muktuk, two muffin-stealing polar bears whose (mis)adventures are chronicled in Pinkwater's Bad Bears books, I was already aware that muffins play an important role in the oeuvre of this brilliant children's author. I simply had no idea HOW important they were, or that the Pinkwater fascination with this particular pastry dated back to the mid-1980s.
Simply put, The Muffin Fiend, now sadly out of print, is a book every Pinkwater fan needs to peruse. Don't be put off by the computer "dot-print" style illustrations - even they will begin to seem hysterical after a while.
November 19, 2008
This book is hilarious. I’ve recently become a Daniel (and Jill) Pinkwater fan and my favorite books of theirs are the Irving and Muktuk Bad Bears muffin loving bears books.
This 1986 book shows muffins were important way back then to Daniel Pinkwater. (Actually, if I’m remembering correctly, it was an era where in my area there were muffin shops sprouting all over, with muffin tops, gigantic muffins, and dozens of flavors to choose from. I’ll bet that Pinkwater patronized these muffin bakeries. I know that I did.)
This is one of those “children’s books” that adults can enjoy probably more than the kids. There are lots of in jokes that require the knowledge of certain vocabulary words, some familiarity with musical works, a nursery rhyme, and a bit of sophistication to fully enjoy.
It was listed at my library as mystery in the children’s department. It could be considered young children’s historical fiction or even science-fiction.
Mozart (yes, that Mozart) is a main character. A detective recruits him to help capture the muffin fiend. This fiend is stealing all the muffins (every single one) in various European cities. There is much witty dialogue. (Example: Inspector: “He appeared to be human.” Mozart: “So do a lot of people.”) The whole madcap adventure is funny. The solution found about why the muffin fiend has been stealing all those muffins is way out there and a bit of a surprise.
This would be a fun read aloud book, for both the children and the adults.
This 1986 book shows muffins were important way back then to Daniel Pinkwater. (Actually, if I’m remembering correctly, it was an era where in my area there were muffin shops sprouting all over, with muffin tops, gigantic muffins, and dozens of flavors to choose from. I’ll bet that Pinkwater patronized these muffin bakeries. I know that I did.)
This is one of those “children’s books” that adults can enjoy probably more than the kids. There are lots of in jokes that require the knowledge of certain vocabulary words, some familiarity with musical works, a nursery rhyme, and a bit of sophistication to fully enjoy.
It was listed at my library as mystery in the children’s department. It could be considered young children’s historical fiction or even science-fiction.
Mozart (yes, that Mozart) is a main character. A detective recruits him to help capture the muffin fiend. This fiend is stealing all the muffins (every single one) in various European cities. There is much witty dialogue. (Example: Inspector: “He appeared to be human.” Mozart: “So do a lot of people.”) The whole madcap adventure is funny. The solution found about why the muffin fiend has been stealing all those muffins is way out there and a bit of a surprise.
This would be a fun read aloud book, for both the children and the adults.
August 28, 2018
Hah! Just as nutty & cheesy as one would expect from Pinkwater. Only one concern. I would eat a gorgonzola muffin. Does that mean... ?
June 11, 2009
When all the muffins in Europe virtually disappear Inspector LeChat turns to music genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Although currently working on a concerto, Mozart agrees to take a break and pursue his hobby, detective work, to help LeChat solve the mystery.
Typical of Pinkwater, a very off-the-wall funny story.
Typical of Pinkwater, a very off-the-wall funny story.
January 5, 2013
Read this to my kids today but truth be told I was the one that wanted to read it. Another Pinkwater masterpiece! It was funny because even though the main character was Mozart and it was set in Vienna....both my kids kept expecting and asking when Irving and Muktuk were going to make an appearence.
Great book!
Great book!
May 28, 2013
I have such good memories of this book, which I read when I was a child,and Inspector LeChat's search for muffins in Vienna, with the assistance of Mozart. I remember this being delightful, and I fully intend to re-read it now that I'm 34.
June 5, 2014
Pinkwater at his zany best in this short (but not picture book) book about Mozart and Inspector LeChat hunting down a muffin thief who has stolen all the muffins in Paris and Vienna. A little dated by the use of early computer graphics for the illustrations, but still a good giggle.
September 11, 2007
Mozart was not just a famous composer!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews