Bad Bears and a Bunny: An Irving and Muktuk Story [Hardcover]

This new Pinkwater book is the equivalent of a shaggy dog story with bears--two "bad bears." Previously, Daniel and Jill Pinkwater team depicted Irving and Mutluk's forced departure from the Arctic (where they failed repeatedly to steal muffins) to the Bayonne, New Jersey zoo. That story ends more happily than it first appears, as the bears discover a muffin factory next to their new home! (Their larcenous adventures at the Bayonne muffin factory are recounted in "Bad Bears in the Big City : An Irving & Muktuk Story.")

"Bad Bears and a Bunny" contains the magnificent dry wit associated with the bear books, embedded within an incredible yarn told with style and panache. Much of the humor here derives from role and reputation reversal: The bad boy bears mistakenly identify a small white bunny as a very small but dangerous polar bear. When their polar bear friend Roy (a "good bear" who lives in his own apartement!) corrects them, they feel emboldened and insult the bunny. Mr. Bunny goes into attack mode:

"The bunny is fast. He runs at the bears. He kicks Irving in the ankle. He bites Mukluk on the toe. Then, he is back at the edge of the bear enclosure, eating grass as though nothing had happened." Later, the bear keeper reassures the frightened bears that, contrary to their vehement opinions, "The bunny does not hate you, and he will not eat you."

In a final plot twist, Roy invites them to a blueberry muffin soup and fishcakes party held by his brother, Larry (of "At the Hotel Larry" and "Bongo Larry)." (It's good to see all four bears united, as Larry had dropped out of sight since getting his lifeguard job at Mr. Frobisher's hotel.) Anticipating that--try as they may-- they probably won't be able to behave, the bears' mischievous plans when they discover the vicious bunny to the affair! Will they be able to lay low and behave, or will they become the bunny's prey once again?

While the earlier "Irving and Mutluk," and "Bongo Larry" might be funnier, this is a very satisfying book that touches lightly on themes of maturity, self-control, and living up to one's image. Children will recognize many of the bears' feelings and the predicaments in which they find themselves. ALthough some of the humor may be too dry for the small fry, the bears' bravado, and the bear/rabbit encounters and role reversals are easily appreciated.

Jill Pinkwater's illustrations seem even more accomplished than usual; although there's still a casual feeling to the drawings, they appear richer and more sophisticated in both content and color (the flowers are spectacular!) than in previous bear books. Daniel and Jill Pinkwater join John Updike and, lately, Stephen Colbert, as progenitors of the best in bear lore. You may wish to see other books in the series sold here at Amazon.com.

No match for an aggravated bunny,Irving and Muktuk, bad and cowardly polar bears, are forced to be good...temporarily. This peculiar story also features a quite good polar bear who lives in an apartment and commutes to the zoo. That really seems odd at first reading, but probably no more so than "Put Me in the Zoo" by Robert Lopshire, a customer pleasing book. Ink and marker illustrations illuminate this title which should provide storytime laughter. A good purchase for public and school libraries as well as for Pinkwater fans.

OK-- first of all, you need to know my son loves Pinkwater's humor. He loves the absurdity of the muffin-loving bears who are "only as good as they should be" and their bear friend who punches a timeclock at the zoo and goes home to his Bayonne, New Jersey apartment. Nothing is as funny to him as this exchange after they are invited to a party where they promise to behave themselves: Bear #1: "Do you really think we will behave at the party?" Bear #2: "No." or this whispered exchange: Bear #1: "Do you think the bunny's watching us?" Bear #2:"I don't know.." As you probably can tell, it's all in the voices and the read... have fun with it and it will become an instant favorite!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews  4.7 out of 5 stars