Written by J.J. & Chris Grabenstein, Illustrated by Alex Patrick
After story time with the librarian in the elementary library, the stuffed animals on the bookshelf come to life as imaginary characters to tell the rest of the story of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” Speaking solely to the children, a skunk named Stinky ad-libs additional chapters to the original short fairytale to tell what became of the smelly troll that fell from his bridge into the river. Because the story is created on-the-spot by the stuffed animals as well as school kids, the tale takes many twists and turns, and is, well…silly. The telling of the tale is peppered with puns and is a bit fixated on all things stinky, putrid, and gross.
I think this would be a good read aloud as an example of extemporaneous writing or a launch point for a creative writing exercise in “what happens next.”
Reviewed by Kristine Kramer, Librarian, Lincoln Elementary
Review shared in June 2025
Rating: ★★★½✩ (3.5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 1-3
Stinky’s Stories: The Three Smelly Goats Gruff
Written by J.J. & Chris Grabenstein, Illustrated by Alex Patrick
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
85 pages
Release Date: March 18, 2025
ISBN: 9780063311244
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
