Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Fiction Series
For ages 6 to 8
Candlewick Press, 2008 ISBN: 978-0763636692
Today might well be the best day of Stink’s “entire life so far.” Stink has many interests, but one of the things he likes most are smells, the smelly ones especially. As a special treat, Stink’s second grade teacher is taking her students on a field trip to the Gross-Me-Out exhibit at the museum, and Stink is hopeful that he is going to experience some truly dreadful smells.
Sure enough, the exhibit is a celebration of all kinds of awful smells. When she sees how much fun Stink is having, his teacher suggests that he check out the Everybody Stinks exhibit. He smells all the body smells and is able to identify every single one - without passing out. Then he goes on to identify a wide variety of other smells, and he doesn’t make a single mistake. Without a doubt Stink’s nose is a superlative organ.
The Stink reads a flyer about a stinky sneaker contest that is taking place in a park in two weeks time. Not surprisingly, Stink is convinced that he would win such a contest, but then his friend Sophie tells her friends that her sneakers are so stinky that she couldn’t even wear them that day. Stink begins to worry that maybe he doesn’t have the stinkiest sneakers after all.
At home, Stink tells his sister and mother about his extraordinary nose and he decides that he is going to be a professional Smeller when he grows up. At first, his sister Judy does not believe that Stink’s nose is super accurate at identifying smells, but she soon changes her mind.
In his new Smeller-in-training role Stink, has a splendid time creating some truly dreadful smells. He once again becomes hopeful that his sneakers will help him win the upcoming contest. Then his sister does something that could ruin his chances in the contest. What a catastrophe!
It is hard not to laugh at the situations that Stink manages to get himself into in this odiferous tale. It is also delightful to see how he finds out that a hobby that he loves could possibly turn into something so much bigger when he is older.
This is the third in a series of books about Stink and his adventures.
