Stinky
(Graphic Novel)

Swamp monster Stinky has a good life in all the wonderful, stinky, squishy mud, with his pet toad, Wartbelly, and other swamp critters such as slimy slugs and possums. However, close by is a town full of kids that Stinky thinks are yucky because they like to take baths and eat such things as cakes and apples. When a boy invades the swamp and builds a tree house, Stinky tries to scare him away. Nothing works it turns out the boy actually likes toads and swamps but when they finally meet and talk, each one realizes he needs a friend. Davis' colorful art makes Stinky and his swamp delightfully yucky and attractive to young readers. Her simplified graphic-novel structure does have some sophistication in panel placement, but the panels' reading order is clear. Although the vocabulary may be too much for younger children to read on their own, the repetition will have them quickly learning mucky, yucky, and gross.--Kan, Kat Copyright 2008 Booklist

Deep in the swamp dwells Stinky, a purple, spotted monster with horns and a hedgehog 'do. Stinky lives up to his name, and the swamp is the perfect place for him: "I love the mushy, mucky mud. / I love the slimy slugs. / And I love the stinky smell! / (SNIFF) AHHHH..." But on the other side of the swamp is the town, which is full of children, who "like to take baths!" When a little boy builds a treehouse in Stinky's swamp, he tries everything he can think of to drive the disgustingly clean creature out--until he discovers that this particular child is definitely a kindred spirit. This entry in the TOON line of comic-book early readers features agreeably distinct, faintly retro graphics in a crystal-clear sequential layout dotted with carefully placed environmental print and sound effects ("BLORP, BLORP") to complement the speech balloons. The winning story carries itself on spunk and a controlled vocabulary that combines judiciously chosen sight words (onion, gross) with easily sounded-out words (slimy slugs!) that will have emerging readers in stitches. (Early reader. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Swamp monster Stinky has a good life in all the wonderful, stinky, squishy mud, with his pet toad, Wartbelly, and other swamp critters such as slimy slugs and possums. However, close by is a town full of kids that Stinky thinks are yucky because they like to take baths and eat such things as cakes and apples. When a boy invades the swamp and builds a tree house, Stinky tries to scare him away. Nothing works it turns out the boy actually likes toads and swamps but when they finally meet and talk, each one realizes he needs a friend. Davis' colorful art makes Stinky and his swamp delightfully yucky and attractive to young readers. Her simplified graphic-novel structure does have some sophistication in panel placement, but the panels' reading order is clear. Although the vocabulary may be too much for younger children to read on their own, the repetition will have them quickly learning mucky, yucky, and gross. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

K-Gr 2 –Stinky the monster is content in the smelly swamp that he shares with his pet toad and other friendly animals until a boy from the nearby town wanders into the area. Stinky is afraid of kids because they are so different from him. They like to take baths and eat apples and candy while he loves mud and pickled onions. When he tries to scare the boy away, he discovers that the boy is also fond of toads and enjoys exploring the "muckiest" part of the swamp, and the two become friends. The charming cartoon artwork, full of humorous details, complements the text, and the muted color scheme makes Stinky endearing rather than scary. The simple vocabulary and repetition of words make the text accessible for emergent readers, who will love the graphic-novel format. The engaging plot shows young readers that it's possible to make friends with those who may seem very different from themselves.–Mari Pongkhamsing, St. Perpetua School, Lafayette, CA