Stinky Tales began over 20 years ago when my two youngest children got stuck in a typical sibling conflict. I plucked a stuffed cat off a shelf, named her Stinky, and the first of many Stinky Tales was told. With her help my kids processed their issue, but from a safe distance. They were able to hear both sides without feeling defensive and even offered Stinky wise advice on how best to solve her problem. I was amazed at the results and ‘Stinky Tales’ was born.

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Fast forward to my kindergarten teaching these past 13 years at Marin Country Day School, where I used the same characters and approach weekly with 60 children. I've watched year after year, as a large group of children learned to speak more skillfully to each other, to have clearer boundaries, and to exhibit kind and more ethical behaviors. Why? Because Stinky and Dillard just navigated the same problem and often with the help of the same children who made the mistake in the first place. The power of this perspective shift still amazes me after all of these years.

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And those toddlers who were the inspiration behind the original Stinky Tales?  They’re adults now and on the team helping to bring these stories to you and children everywhere.  Katie is our art director and has created all of our graphic elements and illustrations as well as designing this website. Will has been involved in business operations, social media and songwriting. He wrote and performed our theme song. Annie is our lead songwriter and is the voice of Stinky for our webisodes. And the smiling face you see on our home page is my granddaughter Mia.

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Enjoy the treasures you find here and feel free to share them with others who might enjoy them.

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Doug Zesiger