Daniel Manus Pinkwater

back cover of The Magic Moscow, 1980

The Big Orange Splot, 1977

After finding a copy of Doodle Flute and hearing about The Big Orange Splot (here and here), I started finding his books all over. Among them was Lizard Music, his pre-teen novel from 1976. In one passage, Charlie "The Chicken Man" makes reference to René Daumal's Mount Analogue in order to describe the properties of Invisible Island, home of Thunderbolt City, to the main character, an 11 year old with a Walter Cronkite obsession. Incredible. What was I reading when I was 12? Always funny and highly recommended.

Dave The Hermit from Blue Moose, 1975

Tooth-Gnasher Superflash, 1981

Aunt Lulu, 1988

Doodle Flute, 1991