Stench Sleuth! Something Smells! by Blake Liliane Hellman

Early one morning, Elliot woke up to a most troublesome smell.

He suspects a skunk outside, but when he opens his window, there's just crisp, post-Halloween autumn air out there.

His sheets smell fresh and clean. His hamster Mr. Jiggles doesn't smell. A banana peel he'd left on his floor has no odor either.

It was time to move on to the usual suspects. Dad has just showered and smells like shaving cream. In the kitchen Mom is making breakfast, and his sometimes stinky dog Digsy happily smells like bacon! Elliot's breakfast smells like always, but his mom is a bit cranky.

"Not one more day in that costume, Elliot!" she grumped.

But Elliot is too busy sleuthing out the mystery smell. And besides, he loves his costume.

It was his best costume EVER! It glowed in the dark and was an exact replica of his skeleton!"

Elliot tries the trash can, but it is empty except for some cast-off Halloween candy. He checks the attic and the cellar. Nothing smells there. He's saved the most likely offenders for last. He surreptitiously tries to get a whiff of his baby sister Lilac's diaper, but all he smells is the maple syrup on her pancake. But Grandma is stirring something suspect on the stove....

Grandma's famous Gefarzenschnerffen!

Nope! He can't blame the Gefarzenscherffen either! But the stink is as strong as ever. Maybe worse!

Mom interrupts his investigation again.

"Not ONE more second in that costume, young man!" she said

By now smart readers will be guessing exactly where That Smell is coming from, and Elliot and his skeleton costume are set to hit the suds immediately, in Blake Liliane Hellman's brand-new funny family story, Something Smells! (Atheneum Books, 2018). Hellman provides the hints to close readers, and artist Steven Henry plants clues around the house that Halloween is far enough in the past that Elliot's costume has grown a bit overripe as well. And when good hygiene is restored, Elliot pulls on his new monster PJs. They smelled good and felt good and ...

He was never going to take them off!

Says School Library Journal, "A winning read-aloud selection perfect for storytime and one-on-one sharing."