Author: George Carruth

Illustrator: Libby Carruth Krock

Publisher: Too Much Fun, LLC

ISBN: 978-0-9773167-2-4

For any young child who has searched for the origin of a mysterious sight, sound, or smell, George Carruth’s What Stinks? will become a favorite read.

This picture book follows the determined exploits of a girl and her little brother as they search the nooks and crannies of their home for the source of an unexplained odor. They find many unpleasant and potentially odiferous items, from an overripe lunch sack left in a closet to old socks and popcorn under the bed. When even the dog, the cat, and an unidentifiable clump of something fished out from under the stove are not giving off the bad stench in question, the investigative pair turns to Mom and Dad for the solution to the puzzle and discover that what smells is them.

Told in verse and enhanced by illustrator Libby Carruth Krock’s quirky and endearing depictions of youngsters who get grubbier page by page, What Stinks? will become a nighttime favorite of any child who can find mystery in the most mundane places around the house—and any parent who needs a bit of help coercing a child into the tub. Although the verse falls out of rhyme in spots, and although I would have liked to see the kids find the solution to their own mystery without its being explained to them by Mom and Dad, the book’s undeniably compelling subject matter and the comforting and familiar domestic setting will likely make it a popular and frequent choice for a bedtime story. 

What Stinks? marks the second contribution of Carruth, a nationally recognized sculptor, to the children’s picture-book market. His popular concrete sculptures have been animating the gardens of his many fans for decades, and their whimsical designs are reflected in his stories for children. I predict that Carruth’s books will gain him as faithful a following as his sculptures have done.

The above review was contributed by: Jennifer MacKay: Jenny has published hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. She is also a journals copy editor for Sage Publications and does independent consulting as a developmental book editor. Her chief writing and editing interests are in the juvenile market.