The Lovesick Skunk, by Joe Hayes, illustrated by Antonio Castro L.

Have you ever had a pair of shoes you couldn't bear to part with?  The little boy in The Lovesick Skunk has a pair of black and white sneakers that he loves wearing, and won't quit wearing them no matter how stinky they get.  His mother banishes them from the house.  Then on a camping trip he and his buddy are awakened by a skunk just outside their tent, showing some amorous interest in the smelly shoes.  After the skunk's attentions, the shoes are too smelly even for this boy to want to wear them.  Maybe he'll try those new sneakers after all.

Joe Hayes writes a nostalgic, amusing tale that timelessly captures little boys' attitudes about their clothes and the world around them.  Who has time to change clothes when there's a whole world to discover?  Antonio Castro L.'s illustrations complement to the story nicely.  It's a good-looking skunk that visits the boys' campsite, and the facial expressions, the boys' and the boy's mother's, are perfect.

The Lovesick Skunk is ideal for an entertaining elementary-age story time.  The story is engaging, and the illustrations are well-done.  Recommended!


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!