I Stink!

Amazon.com
"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


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.


From School Library Journal
reSchool-Grade 2-An enthusiastic garbage truck describes the hearty joys of its daily rounds. The personified vehicle, with windows as eyes and a grille mouth, is appropriately unapologetic for the noises and smells that come with the territory. After filling up with trash ("Whoa, those bags are way compacted"), it gives a loud burp, followed by an "alphabet soup" list of items it digests, including "Dirty diapers," "Puppy poo," and "Ugly underpants." Varied perspectives; the creative use of light; and a palette of grays, blues, greens, and yellow visually capture the rewards of garbage collecting in an appealingly gross package. The text appears in letters of assorted size, color, and boldness that aptly fit the lively directness of the narrative. The truck's brash good humor shows in its toothy grin and expressive eyes, but the human qualities do not detract from its obvious truckish essence. When it proudly admits that it stinks ("Whooooo-whee! Do I ever!"), the truck asks readers where they would be without it. The answer appears on the following spread with a garbage-covered city. The simple, but distinctive voice of the narrating vehicle makes this a fun and funny read-aloud, especially for young truck enthusiasts.Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, ORCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
It's a fine night for the garbage truck. It makes its rounds, collecting curbside trash throughout the city and delivering it to the garbage scow. Heard this before? Not the way Kate and Jim McMullan have created it and Andy Richter presents it. For the young trash truck aficionado, this is the definitive recording. As the anatomy of the truck is exposed and its mechanisms explained, probable contents are revealed and cheered. The work of every sanitation department is championed. With a superb musical accompaniment, Andy Richter brings the McMullans' visual artistry and story to life. Each word has the inflection and pacing that it suggests. Richter's deep and gravelly voice sounds just like the voice of a proud, no-nonsense garbage truck. Fun from first pickup to last! A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Ages 4-8. "Know what I do while you're asleep?" asks a grinning truck in an opening spread, "Eat your TRASH." This boldly illustrated book celebrates the garbage truck's noise and grinding power in a brisk, lively text filled with sound effects. The truck describes its night rounds with its crew, including an amusing A to Z of garbage, from "apple cores" to "puppy poo" to "zipped-up ziti with zucchini." Finally, the vehicle dumps its load at a river barge and heads home. The importance of its job comes through clearly: "Without me? You're on Mount Trash-o-rama, baby." But mostly this is just a loud, gleeful portrait of a big machine at work, illustrated with pictures that are just the right blend of heavy paint, dark colors, and whimsical humor to show the gritty, urban landscape and the swaggering, macho truck. For children who wonder what happens to the trash after it hits the barge, suggest Paulette Bourgeois' Garbage Collectors (1998) or Paul Showers' revised Where Does the Garbage Go? (1994). Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description

Know what I do at night while you're asleep? Eat your trash, that's what! See those bags? I smell breakfast!

With ten wide tires, one really big appetite, and an even bigger smell, this truck's got it all. His job? Eating your garbage and loving every stinky second of it!

ANNOTATION

A big city garbage truck makes its rounds, consuming everything from apple cores and banana peels to leftover ziti with zucchini.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Know what I do at night while you're asleep? Eat your trash, that's what! See those bags? I smell breakfast!

With ten wide tires, one really big appetite, and an even bigger smell, this truck's got it all. His job? Eating your garbage and loving every stinky second of it!

And you thought nighttime was just for sleeping.

About the AuthorKate McMullan is also the author of Supercat. Her novel George Was There will be published in 2004.

SYNOPSIS

A big city garbage truck makes its rounds, consuming everything from apple cores and banana peels to leftover ziti with zucchini.

FROM THE CRITICS

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. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Sharon Levin

This lively, gross, smelly romp from A to Z through the day in a life of a New York garbage truck is a HUGE hit with the truck and gross humor crowd (ages 4 to college, as far as I'm concerned). Here's the truck talking to the reader. "Know what I do at night while you're asleep? Eat your TRASH, that's what. See those bags? I smell BREAKFAST. Crew? Get me to the curb! Lights? BLINK! Brakes? S Q U E A L!" After munching, compacting, smashing, we then get a lovely two-page spread of a gigantic truck BURP. Then we get into the alphabet 'soup', apple cores to zipped-up ziti with zucchini, with a stop in the middle at kitty litter and puppy poo. I love the way the font changes in size and feel to fit the text. I took this book to my daughter's kindergarten class and they were still loving it after three weeks and moaned when I took it home to write this review. Those of you who are thinking 'boy book' when you hear what this is about, 1.) are newcomers to this reviewer since I don't believe in boys' books and girls' books and 2.) haven't seen the girls demand this book over and over again with great delight. It also took this highly refined, classy group of children to point out to my aging eyes that the truck does what we all eventually have to do after eating; yup, he, um, eliminates his meal onto a trash barge on the river. Many grimey kindergartners' thumbs up on this one. 2002, Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins,

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-An enthusiastic garbage truck describes the hearty joys of its daily rounds. The personified vehicle, with windows as eyes and a grille mouth, is appropriately unapologetic for the noises and smells that come with the territory. After filling up with trash ("Whoa, those bags are way compacted"), it gives a loud burp, followed by an "alphabet soup" list of items it digests, including "Dirty diapers," "Puppy poo," and "Ugly underpants." Varied perspectives; the creative use of light; and a palette of grays, blues, greens, and yellow visually capture the rewards of garbage collecting in an appealingly gross package. The text appears in letters of assorted size, color, and boldness that aptly fit the lively directness of the narrative. The truck's brash good humor shows in its toothy grin and expressive eyes, but the human qualities do not detract from its obvious truckish essence. When it proudly admits that it stinks ("Whooooo-whee! Do I ever!"), the truck asks readers where they would be without it. The answer appears on the following spread with a garbage-covered city. The simple, but distinctive voice of the narrating vehicle makes this a fun and funny read-aloud, especially for young truck enthusiasts.-Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews