“I’m the whiskers of this neighborhood. And if it flutters, scurries, or scampers here, I know about it. The name is Muffin. And this is my tale.” Muffin takes pride in keeping tabs on the neighborhood at night. On this particular night, strange sounds from the bakery (“grrrrrrrrrrr”) lead to a startling discovery. Muffin is on the case. Or rather in the case … bakery case that is, obliging a small bear cub with a little cat-like assistance, knocking baked goods off the shelf for the cub to reach. It turns out the cub isn’t the only bear in town, and that only adds to the pleasure and surprise of this warm, funny, furry picture book. Muffin’s noir-inspired voice makes for delightful turns of phrase, while illustrations rendered in acrylic, cut paper, and marker marvelously contrast dark blues and blacks (for the night and bears) with warm golds and yellows (for Muffin and the bakery interior), and show the animals with wonderfully expressive eyes and body language. (Ages 3–7)