Colleen Sydor’s humourous tale, Raising a Little Stink (Kids Can Press), illustrates how a little underdog can draw on his creativity to stand up to bigger bullies. A lion, lion tamer, and mouse ditch their Big Top life in search of freedom. A stinkbug tags along for the ride. In their new home, the circus trio take extreme advantage of the stinkbug’s energetic and industrious nature. Fed up with their antics, the insect underdog puts his natural, unique skill to work, which sends the lazy, overbearing layabouts packing. The striking facial expressions of the characters, in Pascale Constantin’s pastels, heighten the story’s comedic and dramatic elements. mRb