Six Stinky Feet and a Sasquatch

Annie, the story’s plucky young heroine, is rescued from the situation described in the “Excerpt” by none other than a “real” Sasquatch! “Annie’s grandpa had told her about this special being”, a mythical spirit that lived in the woods. The two develop a fun, friendly relationship, sharing their special skills and some games and secrets with each other.

But Annie’s mother, who does not believe in this “ape-like friend”, dismisses Annie’s story until the mischievous Annie invites her pal home and all kinds of mayhem occurs. The comical ending helps to explain the six stinky feet of the title.

Author Heather Conn has woven a charming tale with an abundance of expressive words in describing the interaction between Annie and her buddy that young readers will relate to. They will also find amusing the emphasis on the pervading theme of smell with the repetitive use of “wiff”,”stinky”, “reeked” and “peeyoo”. Lillian Lai’s comical, colourful and energetic drawings add to the engaging text. Noteworthy is the variety in the layout of the exuberant illustrations.

The end matter contains Sasquatch trivia – origins, habitat, names, sizes, smells, noises, diet, footprints, and habits – which adds to the quality of information for readers who are fascinated by this topic. This section is followed by questions regarding proof, sightings and beliefs as there has been lots of mystery and folklore surrounding the existence of this creature. A section for “Further Reading” would facilitate additional research on this topic.

The publisher, Peppermint Toast, notes that they will be donating 10% of the sales proceeds to pediatric palliative care in British Columbia.