A Smelly Surprise — Josephine Masterson

Rory the skunk introduces young readers to life science concepts as he encounters a coyote. Descriptive story elements include animal markings, nocturnal patterns, and animal defensive mechanisms. It ends well for Rory, and the coyote learns to keep away or else. This fiction title is paired with the nonfiction title "All About Skunks" for connecting across texts and comprehension through connection strategies.