3.5 stars. The cover has nothing to do with the inside, which was disappointing. I do like how I'm gradually realizing that Irving & Muktuk are an awful lot like a couple of preschoolers - they kinda want to be good, but they want more to find loopholes in promises so they can get away with indulging their impulses. I'm trying to learn to tell the bears apart - can you? ( )

Newly arrived at the Bayonne, New Jersey, Zoo, Irving and Muktuk, two bads bears with a penchant for stealing blueberry muffins, have some trouble settling into their new life. It's not easy going straight when your new home is next to a muffin factory, and your new friend gets to leave the zoo at the end of the day. What are two bears to do, but set out to explore the city...?

The second hilarious picture book featuring Irving and Muktuk, Bad Bears in the Big City features some classic Pinkwater dialogue, with its perfect comic timing, and dead-pan delivery. Jill Pinkwater's droll illustrations are a perfect complement to the story, whether she's depicting the sly expressions on the Bad Bears' faces, or their tired contentment while "chilling out" on top of some frozen peas. This is an addictive series, and will have young readers clamoring for more. ( )

This is a cute story with some very ornery bears! I loved the authors descriptions of the 'job' the bears had to do at the zoo (entertaining the visitors). The dialogue is good, and the story rich for a beginning reader book.