Young children always need strong role models in their lives to help them figure out the correct way to act and behave in life.  Now obviously parents and other friends and family serve as the largest influence in a child's life, but I've found that the characters that entertain a child can affect them a great deal too.

For instance, I catch my daughter doing and saying things daily just like her favorite television and book characters, Elmo and Caillou.  Because of this, it's important that what I choose to entertain Riley with are people and characters I would also like her to emulate.   StinkyKids is a brand with a fun, unique, and fresh approach that teaches life lessons through its products and books featuring the 10 diverse StinkyKids characters.  Keep reading to learn more!

From the creative mind of Britt Menzies, a mom who was inspired by her daughter’s simple request to paint her as a ballerina, the StinkyKids characters are little stinKers who learn to make right choices through their childhood mistakes and who live by the motto “Always be a leader of good”.  StinkyKids is an innovative brand that appeals to parents for the values it represents and appeals to kids because the characters are real kids getting into real mischief.

Since inception, StinkyKids donates a percentage of its profits to Books, Bears, Bonnets, Inc. (www.booksbearsbonnets.org), a charity founded in honor of Britt’s aunt who died from uterine cancer.  Books, Bears, and Bonnets, Inc. delivers gift boxes to children and adults fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

I was immediately drawn to the StinkyKids brand as soon as I saw the product line, for StinkyKid Jen reminded me so much of my own daughter.  Believe me, Riley is one adorable stinKer in every way possible, so I just knew she would love helping me review both the StinkyKid Jen Plush Doll and the StinkyKids and the Runaway Scissors Book.

StinkyKids and the Runaway Scissors Book is all about the day Britt had a playdate with her friends Hannah, Max and Julie.  Unfortunately, this Saturday Britt had a secret.  A secret she didn’t want to tell her mommy and daddy.  She was chewing bubble gum and caught some in her hair by accident.  Instead of going to mom and dad for help, she enlisted the help of her friends.  As you can probably guess, the results were less than spectacular.

This picture book was a great read and Riley seemed to enjoy finding out what would happen to Britt's hair.  I liked the book for it combined an interesting story and illustrations with a wonderful moral that all children can learn from.  StinkyKids and the Runaway Scissors even earned the prestigious 2011 Silver Mom's Choice Award for best children's picture book.  This recently awarded title is the first book in the StinkyKids series with the second book, StinkyKids See a Full Moon, due in stores this September.

Of course, the book itself was greatly overshadowed by Riley's love for the StinkyKid Jen Plush Doll.  I've never seen anything like it!  From the moment Riley first received the StinkyKid Jen doll, she hasn't let it out of her sight.  She tells me that she likes how "Amy" (the name StinkyKid Jen is called in our house) looks just like she does with the straight blonde hair and ballerina shoes on.  Riley just started taking ballet and tap classes a few weeks ago and so she thinks it is too cool that StinkyKid Jen wears the same shoes she does.

Riley has also noticed that StinkyKid Jen wears "big girl panties" just like she does.  Riley is almost fully potty trained now and whenever there was a moment of weakness where it looked like Riley might want to slip back into her old ways of going in her diaper again, I just showed her StinkyKid Jen's pink panties and that seemed to renew Riley's determination to use the potty like a big girl.

If you have a little stinKer of your own, then I highly recommend StinkyKids.  They will get a kick out of reading about the mischief the other ten diverse StinkyKid characters find themselves in while learning plenty of valuable lessons along the way!