We were given the book, I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt, as a gift at our baby shower. I had never heard of it, but after reading it I fell in love immediately. It’s adorable, it’s funny, and it’s one that we read over and over (and over and over). A few months afterwards, I found another Stinky Face book at our local grocery store and snatched it up – now I’m on a mission to gather them all! In doing some research, I’ve discovered there are quite a few, and some are geared towards older children, so they’ll last Jackson for quite a while!
Lisa McCourt is an author, ghostwriter, and writer’s coach who has written over 30 books, many (but not all) of which are children’s books. I’m focusing on the Stinky Face series today, but she’s got quite a few other children’s books that we haven’t read yet! The illustrator for the Stinky Face books is Cyd Moore – her adorable illustrations can be found in over 40 books, and I love the whimsical style she uses!
I Love You, Stinky Face, 2003
Board book, 32 pages
Recommended Age Range: 2-4 years
My Recommended Age Range: 18 months +
This is the first Stinky Face book we got and we absolutely love it. It’s a bedtime interaction between a boy and his mom and he’s asking her if she would still love him if he were a big, scary ape, a one-eyed monster, or various other crazy creatures. Each time she tells him how she would love him and take care of him in the different scenarios. The illustrations are quirky and adorable, and her answers to his questions never fail to make me giggle.
Board book, 32 pages
Recommended Age Range: 4-8 years
My Recommended Age Range: 2 years +
We don’t have this one yet, but we’ll for sure be buying it before the Christmas season rolls around. In this one, Stinky Face has all sorts of concerns about how Santa will get to their house, and his mom comes up with a solution for each one. This is the general theme of all of the Stinky Face books – he’s a typical toddler, asking a million crazy questions and she calmly answers each one of them (often with humor!) to reassure him before bedtime. This one would be perfect for a Christmas Eve bedtime story!
Happy Halloween, Stinky Face, 2011
Board book, 32 pages
Recommended Age Range: 4 years +
My Recommended Age Range: 2 years +
We don’t have this one yet either, as Jackson is way too young to care about Halloween, but it’s equally adorable. This one would be fantastic to read with a child who is about to go trick-or-treating for the first time, as it goes over a lot of the manners required and is a great overview of how the process works. Stinky Face is worried this time about what could go wrong when trick-or-treating (“Mama, what if Mrs. Petry doesn’t know it’s really just me and my friends at her door?”) and Mama tells him how he can make sure nothing goes wrong. I’ll have to remember this one in a few years when we take Jackson out for his first Halloween adventure!
I Miss You, Stinky Face, 2014
Board Book, 32 pages
Recommended Age Range: 2-4 years
My Recommended Age Range: 18 months +
This one may be my favorite of the series. Stinky Face’s mom is away on a trip and is coming home the next day. He’s on the phone with her before bed and is asking her about all of the things that could go wrong on the plane ride home. He ends up asking about pirates, cheetahs in the jungle, astronauts, and dragons! It’s an adorable story that perfectly captures what I’m sure a lot of kids wonder about when their parents are away.
It’s Time for School, Stinky Face, 2004
32 pages
Recommended Age Range: 3-6
My Recommended Age Range: 3+
This is one of three Stinky Face books that are geared towards older, school-aged kids. Some of the others are geared towards even older kids (like Ready for Kindergarten, Stinky Face?) but this one is perfect for a kid who is feeling some anxiety about starting preschool or school. Stinky Face has worries about going to school, such as what he would do if the principal is “really a witch and she turned me into a snarly werewolf in polka dot underwear?” It’s, once again, completely and utterly adorable and guaranteed to induce some giggles.
I love that these books are perfect for a broad age range and they can follow Jackson for many years. They’re also books I don’t really tire of reading because they’re witty and unique. And really, who doesn’t love a book series with a main character called Stinky Face?
apricot / 279 posts
These look interesting and fun to read! Not a big fan of the fonts used though.
clementine / 933 posts
“I Love You, Stinky Face” is one my very favorite books for C. I didn’t realize there were more options! They are now all on his Christmas wish list. Thanks for sharing!