The Case of the Stinky Stench by Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney - a delicious rhyming adventure

Why this book?

I love stories where interesting characters need to solve mysteries and go on adventures together! I also can't resist a mystery. If you like rhyming books, this one is a great choice. I especially enjoyed all the creative (and funny) places the characters traveled through in the story, like "Trifle Tower." One of the wonderful things about this book is that there are others in the series. I’m excited to see there’s a new Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast adventure coming out soon!

 My thoughts as a creator:

I found it interesting to study how the author created a mystery in a rhyming story. What a challenge! Any of the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast books are wonderful mentor texts for writing a rhyming picture book. I loved how small details and wordplay added to the humor in the story.

My thoughts as an educator:

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of rhyming stories with my students to help them develop their sense of rhyme by listening for similar sounds in words. The fun characters in this story really captured the children’s attention. It’s also really fun to find a mystery in a picture book! Reading this book can lead into some fun discussions and maybe some student-created stories with clues and “red herrings.”   

Ages: 4 - 7

Grades: K - 3

Connections: rhyming, mysteries, problem-solving, helping friends

Activities:

Literacy - Have students choose their favourite character and follow what happens to them through the story.

Create – Encourage students to think of a food in their refrigerator and create their own character! Draw or use collage materials to bring their character to life. To add a bit of a literacy twist,

Math – Create a survey about story characters, for example, Which character do you like better, Lady Pancake, Sir French Toast or Inspector Croissant?

Movement – Encourage students to make up a “signature move” for each of the main characters in the story. How would Sir French Toast dance? What about Inspector Croissant?

  

 More resources:

On his website, author Josh Funk has links to activity kits provided by the publisher, Union Books & Co., to go with his books. Check out this one for The Case of the Stinky Stench. Another cool thing I found there was a song to go with each one of the books!

Josh Funk's resources for writers can help with inspiration or the writing process 

Book Nerd Mommy has provided a sweet “fruitcake” recipe kids can make to go along with this book!  

Description from the publisher:

There’s a stinky stench in the fridge—and our favorite foodie friends must solve a smelly mystery! Sir French Toast’s nephew, Inspector Croissant, begs him and Lady Pancake for help in finding the source of the foul odor. Could it be the devious Baron Von Waffle? A fetid fish lurking in the bottom of Corn Chowder Lake?

Featuring the same delectable rhymes, wordplay, and art that won critical raves for Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast—there’s even an actual red herring—this fun follow-up is an absolutely tasty treat for kids!

The Case of the Stinky Stench by Josh Funk & Brendan Kearney was published by Union Square & Co in 2017.

 

For more wonderful picture books, visit Perfect Picture Book Friday at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. 

EXPLORERS OF THE WILD by Cale Atkinson - A fun adventure story for a child and a bear

One of my favourite themes in picture books and children's novels is adventure, so I was delighted to recently discover this beautifully illustrated picture book by Canadian author-illustrator Cale Atkinson! I read it as an e-book from my local library. (Even though I always prefer to hold and pore over a hard copy, e-books have the advantage of a view of the complete illustration not obscured by the gutter from the binding). 

Summary from the publisher:

Boy and Bear both love to explore the outdoors. There are so many neat things to see, and so many strange things to find. These explorers are prepared for anything . . . except each other!

When Bear and Boy meet in the woods, they're scared at first. Really scared. But soon these kings of the wild realize that no mountain is too big to conquer if you have a friend to climb it by your side.

Explorers of the Wild was written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson, and published by Disney-Hyperion in 2016.

 

Why I liked this book:

The colourful and detail-packed illustrations really went well with the single-day adventure. I think kids will love the friendly-looking characters and the "big surprise" when they meet each other. Such a cute story!

From a writer's perspective...

I'd read this again or use it as a mentor text if I were writing a picture book with two parallel stories. This is a great example of a book with two parallel stories that meet partway through the story and continue on together. The simple text really lets the illustrations shine.

From an educator's perspective:

This is a lovely celebration of a single day's adventure into the woods. It reminded me a little of an old favourite, "Where's My Teddy?" by Jez Alborough. It would be fun to discuss the different perspectives of the characters and what they see or bring on the adventure. This story could also lead to a discussion about how some friendships are based on common interests. As a read aloud, this could inspire some wonderful some student art and writing!

Ages: 4-7

Grades: K – 2

Themes: adventures, nature, friendship

Activities:

Create: Think about what might happen if you planned your own adventure. Draw small pictures of all the things you'd bring along. Or, cut them out of a flyer and glue them in a collage, with a few words of explanation.  

Write: Write a story about your own adventure! You could use the prompt: If I was exploring the wilderness... 

Imagine and draw: What do you think happened when the bear got home? What about the boy? Draw comic to show what happened next. 

PENGUINAUT! by Marcie Colleen & Emma Yarlett – A nervous penguin bravely takes on an out-of-this-world adventure

What a fun story about working towards goals and being brave!

Summary from the publisher: 

Orville the penguin lives at the zoo, surrounded by animal pals who go on exciting adventures. A hang gliding rhino! A deep-sea diving giraffe! Orville struggles to keep up, until one day he concocts an adventure all his own: build a spaceship and fly to the moon all by himself. Can one tiny penguin get there alone?

Penguinaut! is perfect for every child who's said, "I can do it myself!" and comes to find that the rewards are much richer when shared with friends. Marcie Colleen's playful text and Emma Yarlett's charming, whimsical illustrations are sure to delight both children and their parents.

Penguinaut! was written by Marcie Colleen and illustrated by Emma Yarlett. It was published  in 2018 by Orchard Press, an imprint of Scholastic.

Opening:    

 

Orville was small.

His friends were big.

And their adventures were bigger.

My Thoughts as a Writer:

This is an engaging story with gentle humor and simple but fun language, such as “perfectly penguin-sized.” The author has managed to bring out several different emotions within the adventure theme, so it’s a great one to study for thinking about adding different layers to a picture book text. I love the illustrations, especially the one where Orville draws the plans for his rocket. All the characters in the story have characteristic expressions and there are so many fun details for kids to notice as they read the pictures.

My Thoughts as an Educator:

This is a versatile book for reading aloud in the classroom! It shows perseverance and independence in Orville’s attempts to build his rocket, creativity and imagination as he builds with different materials, and emotions of anxiety and excitement. It’s lovely the way Orville’s friends engage in a little kindness and write him a note of encouragement.

Ages: 3-7

Grades: K – 2

Themes: adventure, perseverance, creativity

Activities:

Draw: Have you ever had an adventure? What adventure would you like to have? Draw a picture!

STEAM: Build a rocket ship using cardboard boxes and other recyclable materials that can fit more than one person or toy. Where would travel in your rocket?

Share an act of kindness: Write someone you know a kindness message, like Orville’s friends did in the story. Then hide it someplace where they will find it!

THE EPIC ADVENTURES OF HUGGIE & STICK by Drew Daywalt & David Spencer - A hilarious story with two very different perspectives

This book was recommended to me by writer Erika David, who also has the dream job of working in the children’s department of a bookstore.  I’m so happy she told me about this one because it’s tons of fun!  

Summary from the publisher:

When super cheerful Stick and grumpy stuffed bunny Huggie get thrown from a backpack, the adventure is on! Together this odd couple survives encounters with sea-faring pirates, raging rhinos in Africa, sword-wielding royalty in Europe, stick-eating panda bears in Asia, sharks in Australia, hungry penguins in Antarctica, and piranhas in South America–all before finally making it home to North America. A fantastically funny read-aloud about two unlikely friends and their epic journey around the world.

The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick was written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by David Spencer. It was published by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House in 2018.

Opening:     

Huggie and Stick belonged to a little boy named Reece, and like many things that belong to little boys, they spend a good part of their time being lugged around in a backpack.

My Thoughts as a Writer:

What a great book to study for learning about voice. I love the two different personalities of the main characters that come through in the letters they write. It’s really fun to see two different perspectives on the same experience. The illustrations are great and add to the humor, especially the little doodle drawings on the letters.

My Thoughts as an Educator:

I can see this being a big hit with young children. It’d be great to include this in an author study about Drew Daywalt. I might also use this book to introduce the idea of different points of view. It would be fun to assign pairs of students to a random experience, have them each write a letter and then read the results.

Ages: 4 - 9

Grades: K – 4

Themes: letter-writing, adventure, perspectives

Activities:

Write: Pick a random event (or one of your own experiences) and write two letters showing how different characters might view the experience.

Explore: Choose one of the continents in the book and do some research. What would you find if you visited? Create a “postcard” from your imaginary adventure.

Draw: What will happen to Huggie & Stick on their next adventure? Draw a picture or two to show your ideas!

STEM challenge: Can you design a backpack that will keep Huggie & Stick from getting lost (or escaping)?