The Case of the Stinky Stench

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast #2

by Josh Funk, Brendan Kearney (Illustrator)

"Uncle,” Crossaint said, “the fridge is in trouble!
A mystery stench turned a whole shelf to rubble!
I’m the last hope or the fridge will be lost!
Help me or else we’ll be cooked, served, and sauced.”
 
There’s a stinky stench in the fridge—and our favorite foodie friends must solve a smelly mystery! Sir French Toast’s nephew, Inspector Croissant, begs him and Lady Pancake for help in finding the source of the foul odor. Could it be the devious Baron Von Waffle? A fetid fish lurking in the bottom of Corn Chowder Lake? Featuring the same delectable wordplay and delicious art that won critical raves for Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast—there’s even an actual red herring—his fun follow-up is an absolutely tasty treat for kids!

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Childrens, Humor, Mystery, Adventure, Fiction

34 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 2017

About the author

Josh Funk is the author of the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, the How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series, Dear Unicorn, Dear Dragon, My Pet Feet, the It's Not a Fairy Tale series, Lost in the Library and more. His books have sold more than half a million copies worldwide and been translated into a dozen languages.

New in 2026: A Celebration of You (3.17) and The Dino Door (5.5).

Josh grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes manuscripts. Since the fall of 2015, Josh has presented (or virtually presented) at over 950 schools, classrooms, and libraries.

Josh is terrible at writing bios, so please help fill in the blanks. Josh enjoys _______ during ________ and has always loved __________. He has played ____________ since age __ and his biggest fear in life is being eaten by a __________.

For more about Josh Funk, visit joshfunkbooks.com and at @joshfunkbooks on socials.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books, and we have been doing this for years. Everyone rates each book and adds a comment and it may (or may not) affect my overall rating. This is book #8 of 2017.

Tara: 3 stars. Haha!
Harry (12): 3 stars. The drawings look so good, I want to eat them!
Hank (11): 3.6 stars. I like the imagination in this story.
Lyra (10): 4 stars. Good children's book! Lots of imaginative ideas, and it makes me hungry. Yuck to the moldy fruitcake, though. I liked the map in the back!
Dave: 3 stars. :) Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast star. Busy, goofy art, not my favorite style. The story is a mystery: What IS that stinky stench in the kitchen?! Lots of hijinks. To help keep track (in sort of Clue boardgames fashion), illustrator Brendan Kearney includes a map including Taco Bridge, Trifle Tower, Marshmallow Coast, Applesauce River, things like that. I admit I had a hard time following it, but as you can see above, the kids liked it, which is all that really matters.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something is rotten in the refrigerator...and Inspector Croissant has to solve this case fast! Fun book that takes you through different 'lands' in the fridge. Very creative artwork artwork adds to this detective story. If you have ever opened a refrigerator and been 'hit' with the smell of something that has gone bad you will enjoy reading this book to a small child!

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I continue to be amazed by Mr. Funk's ability to write rhyming lines that are catching, rhythmic and clever. A wonderful sequel.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast return in this second rhyming adventure, this time enlisted by Inspector Croissant in the quest to save the refrigerator by finding the source of the stinky stench assaulting it. After a few initial missteps - accusing the nefarious Baron von Waffle, chasing after a surprisingly fragrant red herring - the three sleuths find the culprit: a moldy old fruitcake. But what should be done with the malodorous food item...?

Like the initial picture-book about these characters, The Case of the Stinky Stench pairs an entertaining tale told in rhyme with bright, colorful artwork that ably captures the humor of the text. There is a fold-out page at the end of the book which provides a map of the route taken by the characters in their quest. Children who appreciate stories with a silly sense of humor will certainly find this one appealing, and it is to them, and to anyone who read and enjoyed the first book about these madcap food items, that I would recommend it.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a great sequel to the first book--Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast! Josh's rhymes are once again spot on, which makes this an easy and fun book to read aloud. The illustrations are so detailed and the fold out page that shows the whole fridge at the end is a hit with my first graders. This book will get a lot of re-reads!

[Matthew Winner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Croissant’s first case reeks of mystery, adventure, and nefarious plans. A savory sequel for any reader with an appetite for sleuthing!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute loved it

[Katie Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!!

[Ngoc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can you really wash off the stank on a fruit cake and it be okay?

[Jessie Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute play on food words but not enough to carry it.

[Bookish]

We are huge Josh Funk fans in my house and we couldn’t wait for his new book, The Case of the Stinky Stench, to come out. How appropriate that it was published May 2nd during Children’s Book Week! Similar to Funk’s Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast, this is a tale that takes place in a refrigerator. Yes, a refrigerator. (Who knew there was so much activity in there?!?) Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are back again, and we are introduced to Inspector Croissant. He is on a mission to find out what is stinking up the place. Will he figure it out and save the day? Funk’s rhymes and Brendan Kearney’s illustrations will certainly bring a smile to your face. This is a mystery for the family to enjoy. —Gerilyn (https://www.bookish.com/articles/frid...)

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! The rhymes were cute and fun, as were the characters. I was almost sad it had taken me so long to pick it up for storytime. It definitely won’t be the last time though!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It was good-riffic” says Grace. It’s pretty good, “the red herring was a just a bad clue” was an especially nice touch!

[Jennifer Somers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just came up in my Goodreads feed, so I thought I’d pass on to all my friends with young children how awesome this picture book is! It’s so fun for me to read aloud and my kids enjoy it as well. If you like this one, definitely try the first one as well.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun, rhyming picture book is a terrific follow up to Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast. Everyone's favorite breakfast duo are trying to relax on a much needed vacation, when Inspector Croissant summons them to help him figure out the source of a nasty smell in the fridge. With rollicking, rhyming text and hilarious artwork, readers are taken on another crazy odyssey through the refrigerator and run into some old and new friends in the process. Young readers will definitely enjoy hearing this again and again at story time.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved the first book - Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast - and this is the sequel.

It still has that great rhyme and meter scheme (very fun to read out loud) and sophisticated vocabulary. It also has a lot of different kinds of food (not limited to the kid friendly fare).

The plot is amusing also - would appeal to mystery / detective story lovers.

The artwork is also terrific.

Kids voted to give it 5 stars and wanted re-reads.

I think it is for older preschoolers and elementary students as it is a little longer with sophisticated vocabulary.

[Newly Wardell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as cute as the first one! Miss Steak is my favorite, she's got french fry hair. Just top shelf all the way round. Funk and Kearney are just upping the ante on the beautiful funny picture books. The story is rhyming poetry that is so much harder than ppl realize. This time the lady and sir have their vacation interrupted to by Inspector Croissant. They have to trace an odor before its too late! There's have to explore Onion Cave and cross Applesauce Rivern

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My students have been waiting for this book since I read the first! So clever and cute. Never thought breakfast food and a dirty refrigerator could be so fun! A must read.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures were wonderful, but the story was difficult for me to follow.

[Serenity]

I'm going to hold off on rating this. I want to read it to my kiddos. They loooved the first book.

[Jj · Rating 2 out of 5]

STOP HATING ON FRUITCAKES! That's all I am going to say about this disappointing title.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought yesterday's book sounded like it might be a series, and boy was I excited to see this one today! It's nice assuming correctly, but also, the detective story. Funk tricked me again! I thought for sure the smell was going to cheese. I'm throughly amused that these simple children's books are keeping me on my toes.

[Donna Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time the duo has to help Sir French Toast's croissant nephew uncover the source of the stench in the fridge. This book features a literal red herring and I found tremendous delight in that dad joke.
Tricky line to toe between teaching good fridge hygiene and not murdering a character in a kid's book.

[Lindsey Lawntea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely got me at miss steak and red herring 😭 more lore about the person who doesn’t clean their fridge ever, and now it appears that food can be made “unspoiled” by showering and shaving the mold off lol.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the creativity of this series! It’s so fun to watch a pancake & French toast run across the fridge trying to locate the stink before the fridge gets cleaned out 😂 And it’s all written in a flowing rhyme; it’s impressive 🙌

[Maxwell Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nefarious and knave - big words for a lil bubba like me! Interesting to see a return of Mount Everbean, this time no avalanche and much less scary!

[Shiloah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I thought it would be. A bit painful for me to finish, but we did.

[Tabby {Genie in a Novel} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this for myy niece for her birthday in a few weeks and I couldn't resist reading it for myself 😅
It's very cute!

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up (illustrations a little too pinkish for me). Includes a red herring, and being tripped by Miss Steak. Pictures include Spuddy Holly andthe Croquettes.