Spanish / Spain
Apestoso tío Muffin
(Stinky uncle Muffin)
Mañas, Pedro
(text)
Rivas, Víctor
(illus.)
Madrid: Anaya, 2018. – 141 p.
ISBN 978-84-698-36019
Shyness | Social anxiety | Body odour | Joy of living
Reading age: 9+
White Ravens issue: 2018
Life’s hard for Mr. Muffin. He does not like being around people, he’s fearful, eccentric, awkward, and also a bit of a neat-freak. Concerning the last point, though, he seems cursed: Like a magnet, Muffin attracts all manner of dirt. He leaves his house sparkling clean in the morning, but by evening he always looks – and smells – like something pulled from a trash can. As if life weren’t already difficult enough, one day his “niece” Emma unexpectedly appears on his doorstep – even though Muffin doesn’t have a niece, not even a sister! Still, he doesn’t send the girl away, since she supposedly only wants to live with him for a few days. Even though Muffin’s well-organized life is put in a tailspin, the two become friends. He opens up to her, overcomes his fears and in the process gets rid of the annoying smell. Funny, ironic, and a little hyper, this children’s novel describes a person who’s his own obstacle and who finally opens up thanks to a child’s imagination, openness, and carefree nature.