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Anderson, Beth

"Smelly" Kelly and His Super Senses: How James Kelly's Nose Saved the New York City Subway

40 pp. | Boyds Mills & Kane/Calkins | October, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-68437-399-4 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-63592-454-1 $11.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jenn Harney. Mild-mannered James Kelly had a keen sense of smell, but what good was an "extraordinary nose"--a superpower, really--when what he needed was to sniff out a new job in New York City? The fish market, the sanitation department, the meatpacking companies were too smelly, but the subway system seemed just the right ticket. He discovered he had a knack for detecting water leaks, and soon he was known as "Smelly Kelly," the subway's "first official leak detective." He also sniffed out a leaking gasoline storage tank and a disgustingly stinky old pile of elephant manure; but, most importantly, he realized his true gift was an inner force that impelled him to study, invent, and find solutions when things weren't right. Anderson's lively telling of a little-known story (who ever knew there was a heroic leak-smelling detective in the 1930s who saved the city with his nose?) employs strong, active verbs, as any superhero tale does, and is effectively complemented by digital illustrations that bring to life Kelly's subterranean realm--the blue-black subway, the greenish miasmic smells drifting along, and Kelly's red hair, a beacon in the darkness. Back matter includes an author's note, information about Kelly's tools and underground world, a note on research, a bibliography, and further resources.
Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

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