• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: p to 2

On the lam from the circus, a lion, a lion tamer, a circus mouse and a stinkbug find a small deserted cottage to make their home. The industrious stinkbug sews lace curtains for the windows and chisels a plaque that reads “Home Sweet Home.” His lazy companions, on the other hand, won't even budge from bed to switch the boring old weather station on the television!

It isn't long before the lazy trio starts to take advantage of the stinkbug's boundless energies. However, they soon learn that it's unwise to push a stinkbug too far.

Colleen Sydor was born and raised in Winnipeg, where she lives with her husband and three children, and works as a writer and floral designer. She brings quick wit and a lively sense of language to her books for young readers. Four of her books have won the McNally Robinson Book For Young People award. Sydor's children have always been grist for her writer's mill. She finds that as they grow in feet and inches, so her stories are lengthening as well.

Colleen Sydor's profile page

Pascale Constantin has illustrated several children's books, some of which have been nominated for the Governor General's Award (3 times), the Blue Spruce Award, the Mr. Christie Prize, and the Quebec/Wallonia-Brussels Prize. More recently, she has illustrated several interactive applications and games and collaborated on numerous school book projects.

Pascale Constantin's profile page

• Winner, Books for Young People Award, McNally Robinson

Fables use a story, often with animal characters, to impart a moral lesson about human behaviour. In classic fable style, Colleen Sydor's colourful and funny tale ignores differences of size and physical ability, and uses the creatures as embodiments of laziness and greed on one hand, and irrepressible energy and good nature on the other. Both the story and the vivid illustrations have an up-to-date feel, with surreal details...[T]he implied moral of appreciating the one who does all the housework for you is certainly relevant. [A] picture-book fable that makes its point by amusing, not preaching.

Quill & Quire

Funny and punny.

Chicago Tribune

Raising a Little Stink

Pascale Constantin, who has illustrated both French and English books, is a threetime nominee in the children’s book illustration category of Governor General’s Literary Awards. In Raising a Little Stink by Colleen Sydor, Constantin’s illustrations are brightly coloured, funny and energetic. When four circus performers run away, the lion, the lion tamer and the mouse plan lives of idleness and comfort. But comfort requires someone’s effort and the little stinkbug ends up doing all the work. He eventually reaches the end of his patience and takes his own, natural way of expressing his dissatisfaction. While the others decide to abandon their philosophy that “working stinks,” the little bug can finally relax knowing that “stinking works.”

Constantin uses bold pastels for stylized cartoon-like illustrations that have lots of character and humour. Seeing the little stinkbug in his pink sweater and red running shoes, staggering under a plate of meatballs, or energetically dusting the portrait of his bespectacled mother, will elicit chuckles from any reader.

Raising a Little Stink

A lazy trio starts to take advantage of a stinkbug’s boundless energies. But they soon learn that it’s unwise to push a stinkbug too far. By the creators of Camilla Chameleon.