Hello-
While I have been a devoted Pinkwater reader and fan since the tender age of 10, I did not discover the hilarious antics of Irving & Muktuk until the ripe age of 39, or when my own son was 3. We have loved them ever since and after raiding all the local library had to offer, we added our own copies to the family library. Blah blah blah, worship, praise etc.
Anyway- today (9/13/09) in the Washington Post Magazine is the most interesting story about the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba written by Kieran Mulvaney.
(www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/04/AR2009090402431.html)
I did not realize that other than the lovely aurora borealis inspired illustrations by Jill Pinkwater that the lives of Irving & Muktuk were based on polar bear fact!
Most shockingly similar was an amazing photo of two bears being carted away in nets by helicopter to polar bear jail!!! Fwop, Fwop, Fwop indeed!
(www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/09/11/GA2009091102531.html?sid=ST2009091103022)
All the polar bears pix here are fantastic and there is another that looks like Irving & Muktuk after they have been discovered posing as muffins. It seems though that the bears of Churchill have a weakness for bacon. All your Irving & Muktuk fans will undoubtedly enjoy this article.
Thanks to you and Jill for all your engaging work-
Jeana Foley
Irving and Muktuk are possibly Jewish, Muslim, or vegetarian--if the publisher had wanted more books, we might have found out which. At any rate, they don't seem to have much interest in bacon. Anyone can pose as a muffin--I have done so many times, and recommend it as an entertaining activity.
