What do you think?
Rate this book
I'm ...! - Machines at Work
I Stink!
Know what I do at night while you're asleep? Eat your trash, that's what! See those bags? I smell breakfast!
With ten wide tires, one really big appetite, and an even bigger smell, this truck's got it all. His job? Eating your garbage and loving every stinky second of it!
And you thought nighttime was just for sleeping.
With ten wide tires, one really big appetite, and an even bigger smell, this truck's got it all. His job? Eating your garbage and loving every stinky second of it!
And you thought nighttime was just for sleeping.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2002
About the author
Kate McMullan
194 books143 followersKate McMullan is an American children's book author.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.
She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.
She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews
June 4, 2017
A great story that teaches children all about the wonderful world of... garbage collection. The story discusses garbage pick-up, consumption, and eventual landfill delivery. Neo wondered if garbage trucks really stink that much, so perhaps we ought to take a trip to the dump one summer day and test the theory. At least now he has a better idea of what happens AFTER tossing something into the rubbish bin.
November 28, 2023
What a title! This is a very good book that explains to children how very important city sanitation departments are...we can't live on Mount Trash-O-Rama! The art is very original; kind of reminded me of animation from the 70's. I like the way this book engages young readers to think about trash - a very important topic we should all be thinking about!
March 18, 2013
When you are compelled to read a book over and over and over and over and over again you become acutely aware of (usually just) the defects of a book, and those defects can torture you and/or lead you to do destructive and dishonest things. I have disappeared many a book in my house, and I am not proud of it.
When a book comes along that is written simply and beautifully, with careful rhythm and exciting timing, when it has the flexibility to be read many different ways, promotes no glaring sexism or consumerism, and above all when that book is not too long, that is a book to cherish, to keep by the kid's bedside, and to occasionally sing a rousing chorus of Hallelujah in honor of. This is a book my kid likes as much as I do. And did I mention it's not too long?
When a book comes along that is written simply and beautifully, with careful rhythm and exciting timing, when it has the flexibility to be read many different ways, promotes no glaring sexism or consumerism, and above all when that book is not too long, that is a book to cherish, to keep by the kid's bedside, and to occasionally sing a rousing chorus of Hallelujah in honor of. This is a book my kid likes as much as I do. And did I mention it's not too long?
September 21, 2011
I don't actually like this book, but my one and a half year old son does. A lot. "Trash" is one of his favorite words now. I think the text is really annoying and tries too hard ("I'm totally dual op," the truck says at one point). Also, there's a lot thrown away that could be composted or recycled (I'm a nerd like that). But, like I said, my son loves this book. We got it out of the library and I think he's going to need a grief counselor when we have to return it, especially since tonight he started licking a page that features nothing but trash bags being hurled into the air. Very disturbing, but cute.
October 21, 2014
Rating this based on my son's love of this book! It was his favorite for about 1 year when he was 2. We read it several times a day, and I think it was one of the first books from which he began to pick out letters and short words. We lived in the country at the time, but had weekly trash service. When we heard the trash truck rumbling down our road, he would run outside or to his bedroom window (that faced the road) and wave at the driver. If my son was not in view, the driver would pause in his pickups and honk the horn, waiting for my son to show up to wave. It was a beautiful, innocent childhood ritual that my son still remembers, and I treasure...the start of awareness of routine and others in my toddler son, and the kindness of strangers to accommodate a young child's heartfelt joy.
If your youngster is at all into trucks and mechanical things, and what young children (particularly boys) are not, then you should at least read this book. Love the sound words that make the story "sound" like the real thing.
Two thumbs up and five stars from my son.
If your youngster is at all into trucks and mechanical things, and what young children (particularly boys) are not, then you should at least read this book. Love the sound words that make the story "sound" like the real thing.
Two thumbs up and five stars from my son.
March 14, 2023
Reads like it should rhyme, but it doesn't.
Other than that? A pitch-perfect children's book. Fun illustrations, and a fun story that has a little alphabet learning and a little bit about municipal waste management (and how stinky, disgusting things are sometimes also necessary).
Other than that? A pitch-perfect children's book. Fun illustrations, and a fun story that has a little alphabet learning and a little bit about municipal waste management (and how stinky, disgusting things are sometimes also necessary).
August 9, 2013
I'm sorry but I really don't understand why people like this book. To me, it was the PB equivalent of nails on a blackboard. I guess the rude trash truck with its joke about stench and burping is appealing to little boys, but none of it appealed to me.
December 18, 2023
This is the absolute greatest book that has ever been written in the history of the English language, and every other language in the entire world. This book inspires me every single day. I live my life the way I do because of the book I stink, extremely inspirational. I just love it the pictures the boom crash and bang sound affects incredible book. If you don’t read it, or don’t like it You’re a loser.
Read
January 31, 2016So books about garbage trucks can apparently be rather region-centric. Because the garbage truck narrator not only has workers on board who toss in loose plastic bags of trash that are lying in piles on the ground instead of in trash bins, but also does all its pickups at night when people are asleep. How many places does trash get picked up only after dark? Add the garbage barge and it's a fascinating look at how trash pickup happens in New York City, but one that also seems oddly unaware that it's in a specific and not generic setting. (Though for adults who know what to look for the illustrations make this clear.)
December 29, 2012
my nephew just turned three and got this book for Christmas. We read it together and both of us were giggly throughout the whole book. It is a clever, hilarious read that any gross lovin' kiddo will treasure.
February 5, 2015
This is a fun book about a garbage truck, it explains how it might smell but we would be living in garbage if he didn't pick it up.
April 27, 2015
Super fun, toddler enjoys a lot, especially the burp page
August 29, 2016
Love this book! Full of slimy gross things to perk my sons attention and the alphabet!
October 14, 2012
Textbook – The Joy of Children’s Literature – P. 73
Genre – Concept Book
Summary:
An entertaining book filled with bright vivid illustrations that take you through the life of being a garbage truck.
A) The author uses humor and candor to tell the day of life of a trash truck. This smelly job is described as not a glamorous job but something done that is usually done while you sleep.
B) Examples of things from A –Z are provided that are found with illustrations of things that are tossed away. The nasty smells of all the trash are expressed as well as the techniques that the truck goes through to squeeze and compact the trash and where all the trash ultimately winds up.
C) Starting out on the first page with the illustration of the garbage truck barreling down the road you see how the truck starts it’s day. With everyone asleep you see how a garbage man starts his day. The author does not tell the reader what kind of truck it is, but lets the reader read and follow to figure out what kind of truck. On the first page the authors start the story by saying, “Who am I?” They end that page by saying, “Know what I do at night while you’re asleep?” Three pages later the truck is saying, “Feed me! Straight into my HOPPER! Nice toss, guys! STOP!” The illustrations and the way the truck speaks to you make it fun adding to the suspense that you can’t wait until you turn the page to see what else happens.
Curriculum Connection:
An excellent story to use to teach about the adventures and job that a garbage man would go through. Use this book when introducing trucks or when your students are learning about different jobs in the community. Have students pick a job in the community that they would like to do. Depending on their age have students write a report or simply draw an illustration and write a sentence describing their job.
Genre – Concept Book
Summary:
An entertaining book filled with bright vivid illustrations that take you through the life of being a garbage truck.
A) The author uses humor and candor to tell the day of life of a trash truck. This smelly job is described as not a glamorous job but something done that is usually done while you sleep.
B) Examples of things from A –Z are provided that are found with illustrations of things that are tossed away. The nasty smells of all the trash are expressed as well as the techniques that the truck goes through to squeeze and compact the trash and where all the trash ultimately winds up.
C) Starting out on the first page with the illustration of the garbage truck barreling down the road you see how the truck starts it’s day. With everyone asleep you see how a garbage man starts his day. The author does not tell the reader what kind of truck it is, but lets the reader read and follow to figure out what kind of truck. On the first page the authors start the story by saying, “Who am I?” They end that page by saying, “Know what I do at night while you’re asleep?” Three pages later the truck is saying, “Feed me! Straight into my HOPPER! Nice toss, guys! STOP!” The illustrations and the way the truck speaks to you make it fun adding to the suspense that you can’t wait until you turn the page to see what else happens.
Curriculum Connection:
An excellent story to use to teach about the adventures and job that a garbage man would go through. Use this book when introducing trucks or when your students are learning about different jobs in the community. Have students pick a job in the community that they would like to do. Depending on their age have students write a report or simply draw an illustration and write a sentence describing their job.
February 5, 2014
Description: Yes, the garbage truck is dirty, noisy and smelly but that's what happens when it eats your trash.
Genre: Concept Book
Intended Audience: Preschool - 3rd Grade
Curriculum Connection: A concept book is an informational picture book. I can see this book being used in a cross-curricular lesson that employs figurative language for writing and employ the concept of perhaps a history lesson on new inventions. Students would create one page for an invention in which their selected invention describes in first person how it is used and what it does. In this book figuartive language would include personification, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia.
Personal Reaction: When I looked this book up in the library, I immediately thought that my son would love this book. I remember him running to window on Monday mornings to watch the trash truck come pick up our garbage. As I read it, my thoughts were affirmed. I think that children love trucks and other vehicles at a young age so this book already has their attention. I also liked the use of sound and onomatopoeia. Burps and roars will keep little ones laughing and adds to the truck's characterization.
Assessment of Visual Appeal: The colors used are dark. Since most of the action is supposed to take place at night when everyone sleeps, that makes sense. The medium looks like charcoal or crayon, thus lines are not crisp or precise but that adds to the concept of the truck being dirty and rough around the edges.
Genre: Concept Book
Intended Audience: Preschool - 3rd Grade
Curriculum Connection: A concept book is an informational picture book. I can see this book being used in a cross-curricular lesson that employs figurative language for writing and employ the concept of perhaps a history lesson on new inventions. Students would create one page for an invention in which their selected invention describes in first person how it is used and what it does. In this book figuartive language would include personification, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia.
Personal Reaction: When I looked this book up in the library, I immediately thought that my son would love this book. I remember him running to window on Monday mornings to watch the trash truck come pick up our garbage. As I read it, my thoughts were affirmed. I think that children love trucks and other vehicles at a young age so this book already has their attention. I also liked the use of sound and onomatopoeia. Burps and roars will keep little ones laughing and adds to the truck's characterization.
Assessment of Visual Appeal: The colors used are dark. Since most of the action is supposed to take place at night when everyone sleeps, that makes sense. The medium looks like charcoal or crayon, thus lines are not crisp or precise but that adds to the concept of the truck being dirty and rough around the edges.
September 12, 2012
I Stink written and illustrated by Kate and Jim McMullan, follows the events of a garbage truck through its route at night while the reader is sleeping. The description of the garbage truck, how many tires and steering wheels it has, the sounds it makes when it backs up, and all the parts involved in compacting the garbage it loves to eat. It is marvelous how the McMullans gave this garbage truck a personality tastes, it has favorite foods that are the ABC portion of the story. It was also refreshing (if that���s the word to use for garbage) to see unattractive objects such as dirty diapers in the alphabet description, it provides a more realistic view of what is actually in the garbage that children can relate to.
I Stink has large and colorful illustrations. However, the color schemes are not primary; it is interesting how Jim McMullan plays with darker and exaggerated colors. The play between detailed and inexact objects in the same illustration adds variety and contrast to the page.
I give this book four out of five stars because the book is written as an intended read-aloud and makes vocabulary building for older students difficult. Even so, this book is a wonderful read-aloud and many students, especially young boys will enjoy being able to talk about garbage. I recommend this book for 3-6 year olds.
I Stink has large and colorful illustrations. However, the color schemes are not primary; it is interesting how Jim McMullan plays with darker and exaggerated colors. The play between detailed and inexact objects in the same illustration adds variety and contrast to the page.
I give this book four out of five stars because the book is written as an intended read-aloud and makes vocabulary building for older students difficult. Even so, this book is a wonderful read-aloud and many students, especially young boys will enjoy being able to talk about garbage. I recommend this book for 3-6 year olds.
October 1, 2013
I Stink! is a wonderful concept book about a garbage truck that loves to gobble up everyones trash as they sleep. Wonderfully illustrated in what looks like pencils and crayons in a cartoon type style, and accompanied by creative font styles, sizes, colors, and arrangements, the reader can not help but feel as if the loud, bossy trash truck has come to life while reading. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I thought that the trash truck was a little pushy in comparison to the usual, softer characters found in children's books, but I found him entertaining. I feel as if this book can serve a dual purpose in the classroom. Since it includes a long, alphabetical list of stinky trash, it can offer a humorous addition to alphabet lessons. As each item is listed, the students, as a group, can guess with which letter each item starts. This story also covers the importance of the sanitation system. This book can serve as a wonderful introduction to the importance of various jobs and how we depend on them. The students, as a group or in small groups, can imagine and offer ideas regarding what the world would be like without certain people such as sanitation workers, firefighters, policemen, etc. (Source - text pg73).
December 8, 2011
1. This book would fall under the category of a picture book, other.
2. What does a garbage truck do? This book goes through a day in the life of a garbage truck.
3. critique
a. The strongest part of this book is its whimsical writing style.
b. This book gives the reader ample opportunities to use inflection and read with expression. The written words invite readers to read in a fun and inviting style which encourages readers to read in exciting voices!
c. The book begins with a riddle. The next page has words – some bolded and some larger which lets the reader know that those words need to be emphasized. Before you know it, you’re beeping and wrapping the garbage truck style! “Beep! Beep! Beep! HEY! Beep! Beep! Beep! OUTTA MY WAY!”
4. a curriculum connection
Hidden inside this book is an alphabet list – all of the things that are inside the garbage truck from A to Z! Even though the things are gross, little boys enjoy hearing about yucky things! It also teaches timelines. At the beginning of the night the truck is empty, then it fills up, and then what happens? The garbage goes to a barge on the river.
2. What does a garbage truck do? This book goes through a day in the life of a garbage truck.
3. critique
a. The strongest part of this book is its whimsical writing style.
b. This book gives the reader ample opportunities to use inflection and read with expression. The written words invite readers to read in a fun and inviting style which encourages readers to read in exciting voices!
c. The book begins with a riddle. The next page has words – some bolded and some larger which lets the reader know that those words need to be emphasized. Before you know it, you’re beeping and wrapping the garbage truck style! “Beep! Beep! Beep! HEY! Beep! Beep! Beep! OUTTA MY WAY!”
4. a curriculum connection
Hidden inside this book is an alphabet list – all of the things that are inside the garbage truck from A to Z! Even though the things are gross, little boys enjoy hearing about yucky things! It also teaches timelines. At the beginning of the night the truck is empty, then it fills up, and then what happens? The garbage goes to a barge on the river.
March 7, 2014
I thought that the storytime kids would respond to I Stink! and I'm Dirty! better than they did. After all, it has great, colorful, big illustrations AND a ton of sound effects, including a BUUUUURRRRRRRPPPPPP. I mean, can't lose with that, right? Well, they liked it, but they liked a lot of the other books that I read better. Personally, I love the art, which is exaggerated, and the text, which is twisty but not too hard to read, and COMPACTED gets squished so kids can make the connection. Plus, there's an alphabet (great for the little kids) of gross stuff in the garbage truck ("puppy poo," "kitty litter," "half-eaten hot dogs").
I think that this would've been better with a younger audience. I had 6-8 year olds and one 13-month old. This would be better for a preschool storytime, or possibly even a toddler one if you were to condense it a bit.
I think that this would've been better with a younger audience. I had 6-8 year olds and one 13-month old. This would be better for a preschool storytime, or possibly even a toddler one if you were to condense it a bit.
September 11, 2012
This book is horrific to read aloud because it's more noises than text, plus a lot of weird terminology.
October 12, 2018
I am absolutely tickled that they somehow got the show, "Stinky and Dirty" out of this book/series of books. The show is cute and incorporates a lot of STEAM elements. The book is...not, haha. It's plenty entertaining for little people but man, quite a leap to the TV series!
May 22, 2018
I never thought there was such a thing as a boy book and a girl book until I had a son after four daughters. Max is obsessed with this book. I loves the sounds, the word "stink," and the truck theme. What a perfect boy book!
February 24, 2019
An alphabet book and a story of how a garbage truck goes about his business through the night in the city.
February 20, 2022
Had no idea the Stinky & Dirty show originated from a book series!! This was great because we read it thinking of the characters voice on the show!
October 10, 2022
Delightful account of what happens to garbage at night and how a garbage truck works. Vivid illustrations.
April 17, 2023
I didn’t really enjoy reading this book but little people seem to love the sound affects, pictures, etc. All about the life of a garbage truck.
March 27, 2024
This book is a lot of fun! The art style is very cool, and the trash truck has a ton of personality. It's great opportunity for doing fun voices, and it actually teaches a lot about how trash pickup and the trash truck itself work. We're very excited to check out other books in this series!
February 7, 2012
I Stink tells the story of a garbage truck describing his lifestyle. He describes how he does his job from picking up trash and compacting it to dropping it off at the river. I Stink was definitely not one of my favorite ABC books. I did like the fact that there is a story along with the alphabet; however, the sentences are very short and choppy. For example, one sentence reads, “I’ve got doubles: steering wheels, gas pedals, brakes.” I felt like the text could have been expanded on further so the reader could better understand what was happening. The mechanical vocabulary is fairly advanced for any children’s book but especially for an ABC book. The expected audience for an ABC book is way too young to understand the terms piston, throttle, and dual op. The ABC portion of the book is the reason I gave the book two stars instead of one star. It is a funny version of the ABC’s since the garbage truck is listing very stinky things that no other book would name. The illustrations help the book because the garbage truck is personified so much. He has a face and even does human-like things such as burping which would keep the children interested. Each letter of the alphabet also had an illustration which was a nice touch because it really showed the nastiness of each object.
June 28, 2013
Even if it's not my cup of tea, I'll have to admit that it must hold huge appeal as a read aloud, especially for toddlers/preschoolers. Even just the title, I Stink!, was a big hit with my son already, he knew that was gonna make for some funny reading! He insisted on reading it himself, for his father, didn't maybe struggle but I noticed he was a bit thrown off or confused sometimes by the organization of the book and the typesetting. I didn't care for the illustrations, but they work well with the text. Finally, although not the main focus of the book, three page spreads with one trashy item for each letter of the alphabet give added value to the book and make it double as a concept book as well. I thought that was a nice touch, and that was my favorite part of the book and maybe even the funniest.
June 30, 2011
I found this on the Greatest Little Boy Books, Ages 2-6 Listopia list, and my nephew *and* niece both liked it! This is one tough garbage truck, and he had the kids entertained. They especially enjoyed his "alphabet soup" of garbage (which was giggle and "eeww" inducing). A fun read for little guys, and it does really make grown-ups appreciate the sanitation department.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews