The Case of the Stinky Stench

With a “horrible stench” assailing the fridge, the stars of Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast attempt to locate its source, assisting an eager sleuth, Inspector Croissant. Funk crafts his rhymes with care, and readers will giggle their way through this refrigerated fantasyland: “They started their search crossing Salsa Ravine,/ And lumbered through smog around Mount Everbean.” Kearney’s candy-colored cartoons are attuned to the book’s brand of culinary comedy, conjuring marshmallow vistas, a sludgy lake of chowder, and even a literal red herring on the way to a happy ending that doesn’t even require baking soda to solve. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Hannah Whitty, Plum Pudding Illustration. [em](May) [/em]