Title: What Is That Smell?
Author: Jean Boyd
Illustrated by: Tracy Jones
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-4500-1142-6
Pages: 34
Genre: Illustrated Children’s book- Fiction / Humor

Reviewed by: Becky Johnson

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There is nothing like a good fart joke to get kids giggling – seriously. Author Jean Boyd interleaves behavioral lessons along with some foul intestinal odors to create a story for youngsters to relate to and allows the kids to laugh out loud.

What Is That Smell? Revolves around a clever cast of characters with common names yet each is paired up with a vegetable – like “Owen the onion, Suzi the squash, and Bella the bell pepper”. The group is having a birthday party with delicious food treats and an ooey-gooey chocolate cake. Everyone is enjoying their outdoor celebration including Owen; he is eating lots and lots of the bean dip. The next day, in class, the kids all begin to hold their noses, and the teacher asks, “What is that smell?” Well it doesn’t take long for her to notice everyone moved away from Owen, who was sitting by himself in the corner with a guilty look on his face. Realizing it is Owen who is passing gas, the teacher asks Owen to excuse himself to the bathroom and not to return until the problem is handled. Owen knew that he was allergic to beans, but didn’t know his allergy resulted in uncontrollable flatulence. The gas built-up and needed to escape. As Owen walked to the door, out came puffs and sounds and the class laughed to the point of tears – it was so funny! So poor Owen couldn’t stop farting – and the class couldn’t stop laughing. What a book!

The illustrations by Tracy Jones have the images of gas clouds to help the readers imagine just what the room must have smelled like. Even the principal, Mr. Apple, when opening the door asked, “What is that smell?” The title is appropriately quoted throughout the story.

Let’s face it – although not the daintiest of themes, this book does make kids laugh. It is a funny book which when read to our 9-year old daughter made her laugh – so it’s been “kid tested” for validity in performance criteria. In a way it is bringing the embarrassment to both sides of the anus sphincter – what to do when you have a gas issues; what not to do as a classmate to a person with such a problem. But I guarantee whatever you do, you can’t stop laughing. This book is absolutely hysterical and wonderfully odoriferous! What Is That Smell? Is sure to be a bedtime favorite!