Little Stinker

This stinker comes up smelling like a rose! 

THREE PROS
*Total reviewer bias here, but Stephen Sanzo's book could not be more perfectly suited to our household given that we have an older son who is starting to tire of his younger sister's antics  
*Does a great job of establishing why the older sibling feels entitled to this natural resentment, then finishes strongly with a reminder of just how much big bro/sis would miss having their other half around
*I learned from YouTube that illustrator Mark Mullaney mimicked the work of a previous Sanzo partner -- which is almost more impressive than drawing the scenes I was planning on complimenting in this bullet point

THREE CONS 
*I am pretty consistent with my dislike of brand names entering into the fabric of my kidlit, so I see no reason to stop now (even if the writing team was trying to enhance the '70s motif) 
*I'm not 100% behind the rather extreme 'lost child' premise, but it does hammer home the point it is trying to make 
*Either my mind or my nose is playing tricks on me, but the copy I was sent has a faint odor to it that is more than just that new book smell -- however, if it actually was done purposefully, I'd consider it both a con and a pro

ONE DAD'S OPINION
It has been a rather long wait, but we finally have some competition for the 2013 ERIK Award for self-published works.  Little Stinker might be small in stature but it has a huge heart!  Sanzo and Mullaney have crafted a story that will really speak to your oldest child on a level that makes sense to him or her but still remains entertaining throughout.  In short, if you have more than one kiddo at home, it's worth the investment. And even if you don't, it's still a good read for any family with younger cousins, friends, etc...
    

BUY / Borrow / Donate / Destroy


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