Stinky Cecil in Mudslide Mayhem!

What better way to learn about beavers and the life cycle of butterflies then reading about silly Stinky Cecil and his friends.

This is a graphic novel for kids, and there is the Nesbit, the chameleon who comes from a pet shop, so doesn't know about living in the wild, so asks a lot of questions, that tell us about what life in the pond is like. He doesn't know what rain is, he doesn't know what about caterpillars and how they turn into butterflies, he doesn't know about much of anything. But the biggest mystery is why the pond is flooding.

And becasue these are all cartoons, they do not behave the way most animals in a pond would, not totally. I mean hamsters don't usually drive speed boats, and may flies don't really come back to life.

There are cute asides, such as characters saying that they should have more empathy.

All in all a cute way to introduce kids to some things that are true about life in the pond. Hopefully they can figure out which is real and which isn't. (hint, hamsters don't drive speed boats, or own speed boats, or have elevators in their tree houses).

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Cecil the toad, Nesbit the chameleon, Jeff the hamster and Jeremy the earthworm are in for an adventure. When it rains for a long period of time, the pond begins to rise. When the rain stops, the pond continues to rise and the animals are losing their home due to the high pond. They set off to investigate what the problem is. It turns out that a pair of beavers have moved in and created a damn. This is a great way to teach about beavers and their homes. The side story has Nesbit learning about butterflies and their stages of life. When Evelyn the caterpillar's chrysalis is in danger of being destroyed by the rushing water, Nesbit climbs the tree and breaks off the branch she is hanging on and takes her back to the pond habitat. A delightful adventure written in graphic novel form with wonderful illustrations. The back of the book contains information about beavers and the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. A good story that would be enjoyed by both young children and middle graders.

This is a colorful and simply adorable read with Stinky Cecil, a frog that emits an odor when scared, and his friends, as they learn about creatures around the pond, including beavers and the life cycle of butterflies. The illustrations are engaging, and the text is entertaining. Children will learn something new without even realizing it with this fun read. I look forward to seeing what Cecil is up to next!

Thank you to Paige Braddock, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book.

A new resident to the pond, a chameleon, is fresh from a pet store and doesn’t know anything, which Cecil finds annoying. More importantly, Cecil’s house gets flooded even though it’s no longer raining. You might be able to guess the reason before you see it.
Gophers being so industrious, it’s no surprise that particular animal has a boat. And a headlamp. And a fanny pack.
Cecil pretends to be smart, but he’d be a goner ten times over without his earthworm friend.
Hmmm, maybe Bigfoot is a giant beaver (not as random as it sounds).
A long sticky tongue IS easier than a fork, especially when you have no fingers.
So anyway, this is a story about cooperation and empathy, or lack of it. Cute and educational, with extra learning at the end.

This fun book is a cross between a beginning reader and a graphic novel. Stinky Cecil is a frog and he has always wanted lakeside living, but when that lakeside becomes a flood, it will be up to this frog to figure out what is going on, and how to make things better.

An amusing, fun and educative book filled with colorful, vibrant and great illustrations. The storyline subtly draws you in and you find yourself going on this amazing yet learning adventure with all the great characters of this book. It’s fun and interesting, you get to learn all the cool things about the animals in this story.  We have Nesbit, Evelyn, Cecil, Bud and his wife Patricia,  Jeremy, Jeff and all the other cool characters of this story. Your kids get to learn all about these animals and their natural habitats, what they eat and what they like and many more interesting facts. This book is a treasure trove of knowledge, set in an amusing and fun package that would delight your kids, taking them on a fun adventure while learning.

Nesbit the chameleon grew up in a pet store so he doesn’t know what rain is. Cecil the toad is annoyed by Nesbit’s innocence about the way life works outdoors but Jeremy the earthworm has empathy for Nesbit. Usually the spring rain doesn’t cause any problems for the habitat but this year Cecil’s pond floods.

While Cecil always wanted a waterfront property he didn’t want his home to be under the water. Jeff the hamster arrives in a speedboat to help his friends. He’s seen something from his treehouse that may be causing the flood. The friends work together and with their new beaver friends, Bud and Patricia, to solve the problem as a team.

The importance of helping friends is demonstrated when Evelyn the caterpillar helps Nesbit early in the story and when Nesbit later helps Evelyn. Empathy is encouraged and solving problems by making sure that both sides are happy with the solution is explored.

Along the way young readers will learn facts about the different animals in the story and there are additional facts after the story about beavers and the lifecycle of a monarch butterfly. The illustrations are sweet and the colours are bright and cheerful.

I really liked Nesbit’s adorable naivety. A character with wide eyed awe at all of the new things they’re experiencing was a lovely addition to the story.

Favourite bit: “Pardon me. I thought you were lunch, but you’re a friend.” (Nesbit to Evelyn)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Stinky Cecil is in a bad place! The river bank is flooding and destroying houses! Cecil and friends g on a (minor) quest to find out why the river is overflowing it's banks and save the day.

This graphic novel was well enjoyed by my daughter and son. They really enjoyed the illustrations and learned a lot about diversity.and how different lifestyles can accommodate each other.