Michalak, Jamie. Frank and Bean: The Stinky Feet Monster. Bob Kolar, Illus. Frank and Bean; bk. 3. Candlewick, 09/2023. [48]pp. Reader. Trade $16.99. 978-1-5362-2546-4. GRADES 1–3. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Frank, a hot dog, and Bean, a bean, trek through the woods searching for the legendary Stinky Feet Monster in this humorous four-chapter beginning reader. They discover a monster who sells stinky cheese, but it is Bean who is the stinky one after getting sprayed by a skunk. Third in the series, this title stands alone well; one does not need to read the earlier books to appreciate this lively duo. Each spread contains brightly-colored digital cartoon artwork that has an airbrushed look, showing the story’s action and characters in a way that can assist a reader with some of the vocabulary. The text is set down in approximately ten lines per spread, using a large typeface and plenty of white space, at a reading level similar to Lobel’s Frog and Toad series. The text has repetition and some onomatopoeia, which will help emergent readers feel successful as they go through the book.
Penny Peck—SJSU iSchool