I Stink! (Paperback)

by Kate Mcmullan (Author), Jim Mcmullan (Illustrator) "Who am I?..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"I stink!" How can you not love such swagger and candor? And Kate and Jim McMullan's big-eyed, loudmouthed garbage truck really must stink--by its own admission, and given all those smelly bags it's been cramming into its huge back hopper.

Most kids already love garbage trucks on general principle, and one assumes that can only go double for a sass-mouthed, animated dumper like this one, out on its early-morning rounds: "See those bags? I SMELL BREAKFAST! Crew? Get me to the curb! Lights? Blink! Brakes? Squeal! Tail gate? SAY AH!" The many opportunities for loud, large-type sound effects should make for spirited readings, and a recipe for "alphabet soup" lets young readers practice their letters, working through the ABCs from apple cores to zipped-up ziti with zucchini.

The text to I Stink!, while fun, is nowhere near as clever as the art. But fortunately Jim McMullan's fun, fat drawings and type treatments more than make up the difference, loading Dumpsters full of personality into this grimacing, grinning, growling--even burping!--big rig. Kids will have a good time doing diesel-powered imitations, but even more importantly, they'll learn where they'd be without their neighborhood trash truck: on top of "Mount Trash-o-rama, baby." (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
A rowdy, ravenous New York City garbage truck is the unlikely and thoroughly engaging narrator of this comical collaboration by the creators of Hey Pipsqueak! and Nutcracker Noel. "Know what I do at night while you're asleep?" asks the brazen vehicle, "Eat your TRASH, that's what." The perspective then shifts so that readers look outside from within the truck's tail end, as garbage bags hurl through the air and land inside its "hopper." As the truck rolls around town, ingesting garbage, he saucily asks, "Did I wake you? Too bad!" Jim McMullan's whimsically exaggerated art humorously reflects the personality of this hero, whose windshield serves as bulging eyes and whose bumper becomes an enormous set of teeth. As the trash inside his belly gets compacted, a full spread records his loud "BURRRP!" (indicated in large red typeface that stretches across the gutter). The truck contentedly ("Ahhhhhh!") announces that he now has room for "alphabet soup," and presents a gratifyingly gross ABC of items that he devours: from "apple cores" to "dirty diapers,... fish heads,... kitty litter,... puppy poo,... ugly underpants..." and "zipped-up ziti with zucchini." He freely admits to his stench, then reminds readers, "Go on, hold your nose, but think about it Without me? You're on Mount Trash-o-rama, baby," as only skyscraper tops (including the Chrysler Building) clear the pictured mound of refuse. After the fellow unloads his contents on a river barge (with a "PLOP!"), he heads back to the garage ("See you tomorrow night, guys"), while kids will eagerly return to the beginning of this hilarious homage to an unsung hero. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064438368
• ISBN-13: 978-0064438360
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,783 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Defecation: The Book, March 7, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: I Stink! (Hardcover)

The most testosterone laden picture book ever conceived and executed. You thought "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" was a tad bit too masculine for your kids? Then forgo the wonders of "I Stink". A rip roaring celebration of the joys of sanitation (THERE's a new word for your kids to learn!) this book follows the daily work of a garbage truck as it makes its daily rounds in the wee hours of the day. The book is so good natured in its exclamations you just can't help but love it either. And trust me, the kids will.

Here's how the book begins. No namby-pamby openers for this morning vehicle. "Who am I? I've got lights. Ten WIDE tires. No A.C., not me. I've got doubles: Steering wheels, gas pedals, brakes. I am totally DUAL OP". You half expect this truck to disintegrate into a series of well-chosen cuss words, it's so certain of its own glory. Acting more like an Oscar the Grouch in garbage truck form, the dirty monstrosity exhibits its own forms of belching before launching into the ABC's of its morning diet. A word of warning: don't read this book too early in the morning. You may find yourself growing nauseous (even as your kids howl for more) reading about fish heads, ugly (stained) underpants, and year-old yams. The authors aren't squeamish about defecation either. Here we can clearly see dirty diapers, kitty litter, and puppy poo (not to put too fine a point on it). The truck then explains how indispensable he (I'm only assuming it's male, but it's a pretty clear guess) is summarizing the predicament we'd be in. Without the Sanitation Department, "You're on Mount Trash-o-rama, baby". Never thought you'd ever hear a garbage truck call you "baby"? You obviously could not have predicted this book.

The authors are careful to thank not only garbage men Earl Harrington and Billy King in their opening, but also "everyone at the New York City Department of Sanitation". It is a fitting tribute, and an excellent book to offer unto them. Capped off by beautiful endpapers (displaying our friend the Garbage Truck in mesmerizing shades of deep blue and turquoise) this disgusting, smelly, filthy book is a class act through and through. Kids love it, grown-ups (that aren't prone to sickness) really get into it, and the world is a better place for it. Garbage workers rarely get their due. Now, they're not only commended for their work, but lauded as well.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Life of a Garbage Truck...., July 29, 2002

By	Roz Levine (Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: I Stink! (Hardcover)

It's hard to believe that anyone could write an entertaining story about the ins and outs of garbage collection, but that's exactly what husband and wife team, Kate and Jim McMullan, have done. Meet a New York City garbage truck. He's bold, brash, confident, and he's more than happy to explain how he gets this dirty job done while the rest of the city sleeps. From apple cores, banana peels, candy wrappers, and dirty diapers to watermelon rings, XL T-shirts, year old yams, and zipped-up ziti with zucchini, he eats it all and never complains. "What's that? You think I stink? WHOOOOO-WHEE! Do I ever! No skunk ever stunk this bad! Go, hold your nose, but think about it - Without Me? You're on Mount Trash-o-rama, baby." The McMullan's have filled their picture book with engaging illustrations, creative text sizes, fonts, and colors, marvelous sound effects, lots of energy and humor. A feast for both the ears and eyes, I Stink shows a big, happy, boisterous machine at work, doing an important community job, and makes a perfect read aloud, youngsters 3-7 will beg to hear again and again.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Eh. I had different expectations., September 23, 2007

By	D. Gardiner "SF Mama" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really wanted to like this book. We live in the city and my daughter loves to watch the trucks collect garbage and recyclables. But this trash truck character has a bad attitude. I'm not the goody-goody that sounds like. I just didn't like how the truck made comments like, "Did I wake you? Too bad!" or used "Baby" to refer to the reader, like some kind of swinger. It shifted the focus onto the attitude of the truck, and not the appreciation of an important city service. It tried to be too cool and in doing so makes it not such a great children's book.

I did like the ABC portion where a trash was listed for each letter of the alphabet.