Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog

by Peter Meisel, Paul Meisel (Illustrator)

Overview

Continuing the Read & Bloom line for newly independent readers comes a delightfully funny, boy-friendly series . . .

Meet Stinky Spike!

Ahoy! When this shipyard pup gets lost at sea, he's rescued by a crew of stinky pirates led by Captain Fishbeard. Spike must prove to the captain he can be a real pirate. Luckily, Stinky Spike has the best nose on the seven seas, and he uses it to sniff out all kinds of treasure. But what happens when Spike's sense of smell leads him to some very strange loot?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619637795
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	09/04/2018
Series:	Read & Bloom
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	489,560
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Paul Meisel is the author and illustrator of See Me Run, a 2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. He has illustrated more than 70 books, including early readers and picture books, including How to Talk Cat by Jean Craighead George. Paul has also illustrated for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Harvard Business Review, and a number of other publications. He lives in Connecticut.

Peter Meisel has been writing and illustrating since he was old enough to hold a crayon. He works for a non-profit organization and lives in Brooklyn, New York. Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog is his first children's book.

Editorial Reviews

With funny characters and an engaging yet simple plotline, this will fly off the shelves.” —School Library Journal

“The character-driven story line is simple, yet there is a complexity in the wonderful sensory language. . . . This is a must-purchase for libraries with growing or solid collections of early reader chapter books. ” —School Library Journal on STINKY SPIKE AND THE ROYAL RESCUE

“This imaginary rumpus is just right for beginners to successfully read and reread.” —Kirkus Reviews on SEE ME RUN

From the Publisher

09/01/2015
K-Gr 2—Father-and-son team Peter and Paul Meisel combine their talents in this "Read and Bloom" early chapter book. Readers set sail for a high seas adventure with a dog named Stinky Spike, the perfect matey. This three-chapter book tells the story of a shipyard dog who is cast away when he least expects it—he's blown out to sea in a bucket. Captain Fishbeard soon comes to his rescue but quickly puts Stinky Spike to work sniffing out treasure. The large text is appropriate for newly independent readers and is complemented by charming, full-color illustrations that provide a balanced layout. Hand this to fans of Doreen Cronin's "The Chicken Squad" series (S. & S., 2014). VERDICT With funny characters and an engaging yet simple plotline, this will fly off the shelves.—Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN

School Library Journal

02/27/2017
In an ultrasilly, swashbuckling addition to the Read and Bloom line, author-illustrator Paul Meisel and his son Peter introduce Spike, a scruffy shipyard dog who delights in “the nastiest, ickiest, foulest stinks he could sniff.” When a mishap sends Spike adrift at sea in a bucket of “rotten fish bits,” he’s eventually rescued by Captain Fishbeard and the crew of the Driftwood, who dub him Stinky Spike and employ him to sniff out treasure. Unfortunately for the pirates, Spike’s idea of treasure is smelly underwear, not gold. The plentiful full-color illustrations play up the story’s olfactory theme, which should delight those beginning readers whose sense of humor tends toward the gross-out. Simultaneously available: Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue. Ages 5–7. Agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

2016-01-09
A pungent pup must prove his worth to a bumbling piratical crew. Any owner of a rambunctious pup will instantly recognize a kindred spirit in shipyard pup Spike's predilection for noxious smells. He's the proud owner of the world's most powerful proboscis, and any stink stunning to the olfactory centers is his delight. Employed to protect the cargo of incoming ships, Spike gets more than he bargained for when his pursuit of a colony of sea gulls lands him in the briny deep. A bucket of rotting fish bits proves his salvation but does his personal hygiene little good. Rescued by human Fishbeard and his scurvy buccaneers, Spike promises them that he can sniff out some treasure in exchange for a ride home. Unfortunately, what dogs consider treasure and what people consider treasure are two entirely different things. Though pirate animals sniffing out treasure are hardly new characters (viz. Cornelia Funke's The Pirate Pig, 2015), there's a jaunty joie de vivre to Spike's love of all that reeks. A true transitional book, the text is perfect for children working their way up to full chapter books. Paul Meisel's full-color illustrations help liven up son Peter Meisel's short chapters, and the story will keep readers guessing. Sequel Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue publishes simultaneously. Cast off, me hearties, and meet a dog that brings both the yo ho hos and the nose. (Adventure. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews