Book Review: Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk

 Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (Walker Books)

HC RRP $24.95

ISBN 9780763656928

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

It’s only seven days before the release of Book 5 of Nightmare on Zombie Street and best friends Stink and Webster can’t wait. The release of the book at the bookstore will be followed by a midnight zombie walk through town. In combination with the Zombie festival, their school aims to reach one million minutes of reading.  But the boys have spent all their pocket money and have to find a way to get funds to buy the books. Their attempt to sell smells ends in destruction.

The boy’s grossness has no end. Although they continue to read and rack up the minutes, their world has become totally zombiefied.  They now communicate through zombie-speak. Their food is transformed into gruesome, gooey and disgusting gruel if only in their imagination.

The whole school is behind the reading target and is fully into the zombie swing of things. Everything is green and slimy. The canteen is serving zombie food and the children have gone through a temporary but grotesque transformation. Zombie sleepovers are arranged. Stinky has redesigned his ventriloquist’s dummy into a zombie doll which results in a frightening experience.

The celebrations begin along with the countdown. Lots of surprises are in store for everyone. The most important thing is that the children have read so many books that they have reached the reading target. This means they will receive books for the library donated by the townspeople while great fun has been had by all.

This is a gross, highly entertaining book ideal for reluctant young readers, mainly boys, which shows that reading can be fun. It has a profusion of equally gross illustrations which will send the senses reeling and keep the pages turning. The green cover depicts Stinky’s face in a zombie trance all over the place. It also has an attractive and well designed half-jacket with Stinky and friends doing the midnight zombie walk.