When you're known as "Bad Bears," and have a history of muffin-stealing, the authorities tend to lay every pastry-related crime at your doorstep. How can Irving and Muktuk convince irascible Police Captain Hare that they're innocent, when some "designer" Italian muffins are stolen? By becoming detectives, of course...

Arguably one of the most hilarious of the Bad Bears adventures - and that's saying something - this fourth book in the series has some of Daniel Pinkwater's best dead-pan dialogue. "Make one mistake and anytime a muffin is missing, the coppers are all over you," observes Muktuk. "Of course," he concedes when Irving agrees that it is unfair, "we have made more than one mistake." Then there is the priceless exchange between the two while they are "detecting:" "If you were a bear," begins Muktuk, to which Irving replies "I am a bear! Absolutely hysterical! ( )

Genre: This is a good example of Fantasy Fiction because the polar bears have a house with a couch and play cards, wear hats, talk, and steal muffins! Not your average polar bears.

Age Appropriateness: intermediate

Characterization: Irving and Mukluk are good examples of the protagonists, they are the main characters of the story, although they are definitely not the good guys.

Plot: Irving and Mukluk get accused of stealing muffins (beginning). They set out to find the culprit. They decide to sniff him out and are on the scent (climax). They realize that they are the culprits and decide that eating the muffins is worth having to pay the penalty for their crime. (resolution)

Media: watercolors