Juan Muñoz Martín (13 May 1929 – 27 February 2023) was a Spanish writer and teacher, known for his contributions to Spanish children's literature, most notably the best-selling and book series.
Juan Muñoz Martín was born in Madrid on 13 May 1929.[1] After leaving a seminary at age 17, he studied French philology at the University of Madrid. He worked for the . A resident of the Cuatro Caminos neighborhood, Muñoz worked as a literature teacher at the Jamer Institution in Madrid for four decades.[2] He earned great success in 1979 with his book Fray Perico y su borrico.[3] It was followed by Fray Perico en la guerra (1989), Fray Perico, Calcetín y el guerrillero Martín (1994), Fray Perico en la paz (1996), Nuevas aventuras de fray Perico (1996), Fray Perico y Monpetit (1998), Fray Perico y la primavera (2003), Fray Perico y la Navidad (2003) and Fray Perico de la Mancha (2005).[4]
Likewise, the seminal work of El pirata Garrapata book series, published in 1982, was followed by 15 new works following the character's adventures.
His most famous books were Fray Perico y su borrico (with 71 editions) and El pirata Garrapata (with 64 editions). By the time of his death, they still ranked as the top-selling titles of El Barco de Vapor collection.[5] His swan song is El pirata Garrapata en Marte, presented in 2021. He was bestowed with the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 2021.[6]
Muñoz Martin died on 27 February 2023, at the age of 93.