(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sam Ricks. Though the brigade of wily badgers was jailed at the end of Badness of Badgers, the bandits escaped with a Monopoly-esque "Get Out of Jail Free" card. But our hero Stinkbomb and his sister, Ketchup-Face, are once again on their trail, now aided by a ninja librarian, a disguised rabbit, and a banana-eating shark. This quest-fantasy send-up's nonstop metafictive silliness has enormous kid-appeal; spot illustrations add to the hilarity.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sam Ricks. On a quest to get King Toothbrush Weasel to rid the kingdom of Great Kerfuffle of robber badgers ("Think about it. They do bad things because they're badgers"), Stinkbomb and his younger sister, Ketchup-Face, end up pursuing the bandits themselves. Brief chapters are chock-a-block with nonstop silliness, snarky fairy-tale tropes, playful type, and exuberant illustrations. This is literary candy for kids, especially reluctant readers.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute