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Irving and Muktuk
Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears
When two devious polar bears make yet another attempt at stealing the muffins and ruining the New Year's Blueberry Muffin Festival, Yellowtooth's Officer Bunny must stay on top of the situation in order to put a stop to their plans.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2001
1 person is currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Pinkwater
143 books429 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 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 4, 2020
Irving and Muktuk, two bad bears with a craving for blueberry muffins and a penchant for larceny, are "no better then they should be" in this hilarious picture book from author-illustrator team Daniel and Jill Pinkwater. Their muffin-stealing schemes are always foiled by Officer Bunny however, who knows just how to defeat these lovable and bumbling "villains."
I owe my friend Max G. an immense debt of gratitude for introducing me to Irving and Muktuk, who have provided me with quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. The quirky, dead-pan humor of Daniel Pinkwater's narrative, together with Jill Pinkwater's droll illustrations, make for a true picture book gem. Luckily, this is just the first of Irving and Muktuk's adventures!
I owe my friend Max G. an immense debt of gratitude for introducing me to Irving and Muktuk, who have provided me with quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. The quirky, dead-pan humor of Daniel Pinkwater's narrative, together with Jill Pinkwater's droll illustrations, make for a true picture book gem. Luckily, this is just the first of Irving and Muktuk's adventures!
March 30, 2009
This book is hilarious!!! I could not stop chuckling. So absurd, so amusing--so clever. The illustrations...! Oh my gosh, it's such a delightful hodgepodge. Seriously, two blueberry-muffin-obsessed polar bears continually crashing an annual Blueberry Muffin Festival and thwarted by the incomparable Officer Bunny. What's not to love!? (The tale was enhanced by the fact that, owing to some delightful serendipity, Tyler made muffins the same day I read the book!)
April 27, 2017
Some of Pinkwater's work is too random, too Shaggy Dog, for me. But omg Irving and Muktuk kill me every time. "Farewell, gigantic orphan penguins, also known as Irving and Muktuk! Another helicopter ride will take you to the frozen places where you belong."
It's interesting, too, that the art is a style I wouldn't expect to like, personally. But it's so very appropriate/ fitting, and so joyous, that I'm charmed.
It's interesting, too, that the art is a style I wouldn't expect to like, personally. But it's so very appropriate/ fitting, and so joyous, that I'm charmed.
October 17, 2008
This book is hilarious and the illustrations are wonderful.
The first thing I did when I finished this book was to reserve three other Two Bad Bears books at the library.
I vacillated between giving this book 4 and 5 stars and ultimately awarded it the extra star because of Irving and Muktuk’s final plan (in this book) to steal the blueberry muffins. I’m going to be recommending this to all my friends with young kids and to all the places where I’ve volunteered working with children.
The first thing I did when I finished this book was to reserve three other Two Bad Bears books at the library.
I vacillated between giving this book 4 and 5 stars and ultimately awarded it the extra star because of Irving and Muktuk’s final plan (in this book) to steal the blueberry muffins. I’m going to be recommending this to all my friends with young kids and to all the places where I’ve volunteered working with children.
December 18, 2008
While I read lots of kidlit and YA lit, I rarely read picture books. But I couldn’t resist this after following some discussion of it on Goodreads. And now I think I’m hooked on Daniel and Jill Pinkwater. This book is a hoot! It's laugh out loud funny. You can tell, of course, from the last page that there is going to be more. I’m off to find out what these bears are up to next. I hope we get to meet Officer Bunny again, too!
May 5, 2017
For me this was only a 3 star book, but, my 6 year old insisted that it was a 4 star book. The illustrations already feel a bit dated and peculiar, however, it is still amusing to children and that's the intended audience, so, mission accomplished.
I rushed through the reading of this book just a bit because I wasn't really enjoying it, but, then my daughter insisted I read it again.
Though, I think that is a common problem with picture books. They tend to be rated based on what adults thought of them rather than what children thought of them.
The story is about two bad bears and their attempts to steal muffins and the local police bunny's attempts to prevent them from stealing muffins. Eventually they are sent to a zoo.
I rushed through the reading of this book just a bit because I wasn't really enjoying it, but, then my daughter insisted I read it again.
Though, I think that is a common problem with picture books. They tend to be rated based on what adults thought of them rather than what children thought of them.
The story is about two bad bears and their attempts to steal muffins and the local police bunny's attempts to prevent them from stealing muffins. Eventually they are sent to a zoo.
January 31, 2022
Are Irving and Muktuk bad bears or do they just love blueberry muffins too much? I don't remember how this ended up on my TBR, but it's a super cute story.
January 22, 2017
Officer Bunny repeatedly apprehends polar bears and halts their insidious schemes to pilfer blueberry muffins. It's basically a Roadrunner cartoon, plus narration like this:
All picture books should be written like this.
FWOP! FWOP! FWOP! Oh, no! It is the helicopter!FWOP! FWOP! FWOP! Adieu, Irving and Muktuk. Once again, you have failed to obtain muffins by stealth and subterfuge.
All picture books should be written like this.
May 24, 2017
I pulled this one as a potential piece for our unit on blueberries. I decided to pass on using it, since I found books that better dealt with the subject. Besides, this book just didn't resonate with me. Maybe if I'd read it with the kids? I don't know. I just found that I spent most of the book with a puzzled look on my face. I didn't like the illustrations, and while there were some amusing scenarios, I, overall, didn't find the book to be funny. And it was clearly supposed to be! Did I miss something here? Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that I just didn't really like it very much. Nothing offensive, just not my cup of tea. Even though the thought of a blueberry muffin is making me very, very hungry right now...
October 6, 2018
Two very determined polar bears, attempt every New Year's Eve to relieve the town of Yellowstone of their muffins during the annual Blueberry Muffin Festival. Officer Bunny always catches them during their attempts of stealth and subterfuge, and airlifts them back to the frozen north. Irving and Muktuk may be bumbling and dimwitted in their attempts, but they are persistent.
February 16, 2015
Booklist July 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 21)
PreS-Gr. 2. This new book about muffin-loving Irving and Muktuk turns the hard-boiled detective tradition on its ear with mischief that will make preschoolers laugh as much as the adults who read to them. When a large shipment of Italian designer muffins disappears from a waterfront warehouse, the two polar bears are the chief suspects. Facing the slammer, they cry and declare their innocence ("Our names are smirched"), then sneak out of the zoo to find the real thieves. But why do the clues lead back to the zoo? The pictures of the big, white bears outlined in ink and performing against brightly colored backgrounds add to the fun as they act tough to the bossy authorities, sniff out (literally) the bad guys, and surprise everyone, including themselves.
Horn Book Spring 2007
Accused of stealing expensive Italian designer muffins, polar bears Irving and Muktuk decide to clear their names by solving the mystery themselves. They go to the scene of the crime and follow a trail of crumbs back to their home, only to remember that they did indeed steal the muffins. Both the silly, wordy story and stiff, colorful illustrations feel underdeveloped.
Kirkus Reviews July 1, 2006
Irving and Muktuk-"each a bad bear if there ever was one"-embark on their fourth crime spree. Yet this time, it may be a case of mistaken polar bear identity. Yes, there were bear footprints found on the docks where a shipment of expensive Italian designer muffins have disappeared (Irving and Muktuk are known miscreants in the missing-muffin department). But Irving and Muktuk claim innocence-when the police arrive, the bears vow to erase the "smirch" on their names-and set out to bring whoever snatched the mirtilli dell'Italia to justice, or spend a year without their nightly passes from the zoo. After some serious sniffing at the crime scene, they follow the scent-whoops!-right back to their cave at the zoo. Looks like they made off with the loot after all. Hey, memory-wise, polar bears aren't elephants, so give the boys a break. The Pinkwaters have their mother wit at full tilt, never talking down to their audience (mirtilli dell'Italia, for goodness sake), and are joyously troublemaking, dryly humorous to the point of combustion and playing out just enough rope for Irving and Mukluk to hang themselves. (Picture book. 4-8)
School Library Journal August 1, 2006
Gr 1-3-Irving and Muktuk are accused of stealing a shipment of blueberry muffins that was stored in a waterfront warehouse. The two polar bears swear tearfully that they are innocent, but, as they set out to prove it, they seem more and more suspect. To look like detectives, they steal hats from the Zoo Director and go in search of clues. As they sniff their way closer to the truth, their memory gets jogged concerning the actual nature of events. Kids will love the cartoon drawings rendered in felt-tip marker and ink. The white bears outlined in black ink, one wearing a red hat, the other a yellow one, contrast delightfully with a midnight-blue sky and colorful city buildings as they stride through the streets. This charming mystery will have kids guessing. This story is great for independent mid-level readers and as a read-aloud.-Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
PreS-Gr. 2. This new book about muffin-loving Irving and Muktuk turns the hard-boiled detective tradition on its ear with mischief that will make preschoolers laugh as much as the adults who read to them. When a large shipment of Italian designer muffins disappears from a waterfront warehouse, the two polar bears are the chief suspects. Facing the slammer, they cry and declare their innocence ("Our names are smirched"), then sneak out of the zoo to find the real thieves. But why do the clues lead back to the zoo? The pictures of the big, white bears outlined in ink and performing against brightly colored backgrounds add to the fun as they act tough to the bossy authorities, sniff out (literally) the bad guys, and surprise everyone, including themselves.
Horn Book Spring 2007
Accused of stealing expensive Italian designer muffins, polar bears Irving and Muktuk decide to clear their names by solving the mystery themselves. They go to the scene of the crime and follow a trail of crumbs back to their home, only to remember that they did indeed steal the muffins. Both the silly, wordy story and stiff, colorful illustrations feel underdeveloped.
Kirkus Reviews July 1, 2006
Irving and Muktuk-"each a bad bear if there ever was one"-embark on their fourth crime spree. Yet this time, it may be a case of mistaken polar bear identity. Yes, there were bear footprints found on the docks where a shipment of expensive Italian designer muffins have disappeared (Irving and Muktuk are known miscreants in the missing-muffin department). But Irving and Muktuk claim innocence-when the police arrive, the bears vow to erase the "smirch" on their names-and set out to bring whoever snatched the mirtilli dell'Italia to justice, or spend a year without their nightly passes from the zoo. After some serious sniffing at the crime scene, they follow the scent-whoops!-right back to their cave at the zoo. Looks like they made off with the loot after all. Hey, memory-wise, polar bears aren't elephants, so give the boys a break. The Pinkwaters have their mother wit at full tilt, never talking down to their audience (mirtilli dell'Italia, for goodness sake), and are joyously troublemaking, dryly humorous to the point of combustion and playing out just enough rope for Irving and Mukluk to hang themselves. (Picture book. 4-8)
School Library Journal August 1, 2006
Gr 1-3-Irving and Muktuk are accused of stealing a shipment of blueberry muffins that was stored in a waterfront warehouse. The two polar bears swear tearfully that they are innocent, but, as they set out to prove it, they seem more and more suspect. To look like detectives, they steal hats from the Zoo Director and go in search of clues. As they sniff their way closer to the truth, their memory gets jogged concerning the actual nature of events. Kids will love the cartoon drawings rendered in felt-tip marker and ink. The white bears outlined in black ink, one wearing a red hat, the other a yellow one, contrast delightfully with a midnight-blue sky and colorful city buildings as they stride through the streets. This charming mystery will have kids guessing. This story is great for independent mid-level readers and as a read-aloud.-Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2017
This book is every bit as good as I remember, holds up despite its age, and is a work of comedic genius. And it teaches children that Bayonne, New Jersey is the muffin capital of the world.
December 10, 2014
If sly hilarity and perfectly-paced comedic gags are your thing, you'll love this series. In the introductory volume, the polar bears Irving and Muktuk appear in the Canadian town of Yellowtooth, at the annual muffin festival. Officer Bunny -- the highly competent law enforcement officer is a bunny dressed as a Canadian Mounty -- foils their attempt to break into the muffin warehouse by loading fresh muffins in his police car and luring them into it, and a helicopter soon carries them north of the Arctic circle. Not to be deterred, the bears reappear at successive festivals in more and more ludicrous costumes, only to be caught and carted away. Finally Officer Bunny sells them to a New Jersey zoo... but only after ascertaining that the town has plenty of muffins.
Not everyone will love a children's series dedicated to the criminal exploits of two polar bears driven by an insatiable desire for muffins. Some parents might feel the author treats stealing too lightly. But it's clearly a fantasy, and the bears' bumbling attempts never lead them into violence. For a perceptive readership, parents might even have a discussion about how when you lack self-control, you make foolish decisions that get you into trouble. This isn't a moral story, but it happens in a moral world, where the bears' outlandish behavior leads to consequences. It's best for an elementary audience.
Not everyone will love a children's series dedicated to the criminal exploits of two polar bears driven by an insatiable desire for muffins. Some parents might feel the author treats stealing too lightly. But it's clearly a fantasy, and the bears' bumbling attempts never lead them into violence. For a perceptive readership, parents might even have a discussion about how when you lack self-control, you make foolish decisions that get you into trouble. This isn't a moral story, but it happens in a moral world, where the bears' outlandish behavior leads to consequences. It's best for an elementary audience.
March 17, 2010
This was my first Irving and Muktuk book. The illustrations are very colorful and have a lot of funny details, which I liked. The book was cute, but I though the writing was kind of choppy, and some of the jokes were kind of "off." I love quirky stuff, and some of it was funny (e.g., the non-regulation Girl Scout Uniforms), but some of it just wasn't. However, I think kids about 4 or 5 years old would howl in laughter at the absurdity of much of it (which, actually, I do like, too), so ... I'm sure this book would be good entertainment for the right age level of kids!
March 6, 2010
The beginning of the bad bears. The kiddos are amused by this because the bears, they are not so smart, and even so, they manage to outwit the townspeople for a number of years with a variety of disguises and plots, foiled only by the bunny police. Lovely tongue in cheek humor, which is fun for adults and children on different levels. In the end, they are polar bears and they behave as any muffin loving polar bear would. And who among us doesn't love an illicit blueberry muffin?
January 9, 2013
(Mommy's review from 2/20/12)
If there's ever been a time that I knew Julia and I were pretty "off", it's now. The fantastic ratings leave me confused. Mighty confused.
I guess I wouldn't say this is 'bad' but it's certainly no better than
'okay' in our opinions.
The muffins, the two bears, the sheriff or whatever he was, I don't know. I grabbed it off the shelf at the library and let's just say I'm glad I didn't pay for it. And let's also say Julia won't be asking for it again I'm sure.
If there's ever been a time that I knew Julia and I were pretty "off", it's now. The fantastic ratings leave me confused. Mighty confused.
I guess I wouldn't say this is 'bad' but it's certainly no better than
'okay' in our opinions.
The muffins, the two bears, the sheriff or whatever he was, I don't know. I grabbed it off the shelf at the library and let's just say I'm glad I didn't pay for it. And let's also say Julia won't be asking for it again I'm sure.
August 3, 2007
Chucked full of colour, wacky wording and two bad bears bent on blueberry muffins, this crazy book is wacky, arctic fun.
Listen to our chat about this book on our JustOneMoreBook.com Children's Book Podcast:
http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/0...
Listen to our chat about this book on our JustOneMoreBook.com Children's Book Podcast:
http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/0...
December 15, 2009
Although this book was highly recommended by other librarians, I just couldn't find the humor in it. The illustrations are not really my liking, but I really don't think children will enjoy them either because of their confusing perspectives. The storyline was odd and I just don't think your average youngster will enjoy it much. There are a ton of books out there much better.
November 30, 2011
This is a great little picture book that has a repeating theme, in which the children will love. The two polar bears love muffins and will do anything and everything to bash an annual muffin fest. Great book, with good humor.
June 9, 2013
How could anyone resist a blueberry muffin festival? Irving and Muktuk sure can't! Too bad they are polar bears and Officer Bunny is on their trail. He manages to thwart them every year. Some of their disguises are ingenious!
May 19, 2025
Almost like a book version of Wile E. Coyote.
October 24, 2008
Very cute story (and it made me hungry for muffins too!).
November 19, 2008
My teens and I fell in love with these muffin-loving polar bears and their ruthless pursuit of blueberry muffins!
January 30, 2009
Anything about Irving and Muktuk is excellent!
February 3, 2009
I don't love this nearly as much as Pinkwater's chapter books, but it still has his goofy sense of humor.
June 2, 2010
Great fun read!
November 8, 2011
It's a cute story which will hopefully teach my three month old son about the dire repercussions of attempted forbidden blueberry muffin theft, but I think that the illustrations are kind of crummy.
January 3, 2012
Two muffin-loving polar bears make a yearly attempt to use stealth and subterfuge to get muffins at the Yellowtooth Blueberry Muffin Festival.
March 28, 2013
The kids thought this was funny. The bears and their attempts to get the muffins at the annual Blueberry muffin festival are silly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews