Making Scents

Making Scents is a charming and humorous graphic novel about Mickey, a boy whose eccentric parents raise him alongside their beloved bloodhounds, teaching him to sniff and track. When a tragic accident leaves Mickey an orphan, he's sent to live with distant relatives who are decidedly not dog people, nor particularly fond of children. This story beautifully navigates themes of grief, adaptation, and the search for identity, all wrapped in a lighthearted, engaging package. It's ideal for early to late elementary readers, offering a gentle way to discuss loss and belonging through a unique, relatable character.

Mickey isn't quite like his brothers and sisters. They're all stronger, faster, and have a much better sense of smell. That’s because his "brothers and sisters" are dogs—bloodhounds, to be exact. Mickey’s mom and dad are crazy about canines. Their dogs are the loves of their lives and their livelihood. So, naturally, they’re raising their son as if he was a dog, and Mickey wants nothing more than to make his parents proud. Just as Mickey is mastering the art of sniffing, a tragic accident forever changes his happy family. Mickey is sent to live with relatives he's never met—relatives who are not fond of kids . . . and who hate dogs! Making Scents, a laugh-out-loud graphic novel for young readers from Arthur Yorinks, with illustrations by Braden Lamb and Shelli Paroline.