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Scratch and sniff books turn reading time into a sensory experience, and the format has expanded well past novelty gross-out humor into genuinely educational titles built around real scents.
| # | Product | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farmyard Farts | $10-$16 | Amazon · eBay |
| 2 | The Scratch and Sniff Fart Book by Buddy & Barney | $10-$16 | Amazon · eBay |
| 3 | Nella the Princess Knight Scratch and Sniff Book | $8-$14 | Amazon · eBay |
| 4 | My First Book of Smells and Colours: Garden | $10-$16 | Amazon · eBay |
| 5 | Smelly Old History series by Mary Dobson | $8-$14 (per title) | Amazon · eBay |
The picks, in detail
Farmyard Farts
A playful lift-the-flap book built around a “guess who did the smelliest fart” game, with six authentic farm-animal scents.
- Lift-the-flap interactive pages
- Six scratch-and-sniff scents
- Farm animal theme
- Huge hit with kids who love gross-out humor
- Interactive flaps add replay value beyond just the scents
- Purely novelty humor rather than educational content
The Scratch and Sniff Fart Book by Buddy & Barney
A rhyming narrative blending humor with sensory exploration across six different scents.
- Rhyming story format
- Six scratch-and-sniff scents
- Board book durability
- Rhyming text makes it fun to read aloud
- Popular gift book for kids who love silly humor
- Similar novelty-humor niche as Farmyard Farts, so pick one or the other
Nella the Princess Knight Scratch and Sniff Book
A Nickelodeon tie-in book where Princess-Knight Nella smells everything she discovers on her adventure.
- Licensed Nickelodeon character tie-in
- Story-integrated scratch-and-sniff moments
- Adventure narrative format
- Great pick if your kid already loves the Nella show
- Story-driven rather than purely gross-out humor
- Appeal is narrower if your child isn’t already a fan of the show
My First Book of Smells and Colours: Garden
An educational scratch-and-sniff book pairing real garden scents (herbs, flowers, produce) with early color learning.
- Authentic herb, flower, and vegetable scents
- Combines scent exploration with color learning
- Clean, poppy design aimed at young kids
- Genuinely educational rather than just novelty
- Real scents (rose, lavender, mint, strawberry, etc.) rather than artificial gag smells
- Less immediately funny than the gross-out-humor titles for kids who want silly content
Smelly Old History series by Mary Dobson
An educational history series (Victorian Vapours, Roman Aromas, Medieval Muck, and more) that uses scent to bring historical eras to life.
- Multiple titles covering different historical eras
- Real history content paired with era-appropriate scents
- Written by a children’s history author
- Genuinely combines learning with the scratch-and-sniff format
- Multiple titles to collect across different historical periods
- Better suited to slightly older kids than the toddler-aimed titles on this list
Buying tips
- For toddlers, stick to board-book formats (Farmyard Farts, My First Book of Smells and Colours) that hold up to rough handling.
- If your kid is already into a specific franchise (like Nella), a licensed tie-in book tends to get read far more than a generic one.
- For elementary-age kids who’ve outgrown gross-out humor, the Smelly Old History series is a good way to keep the format relevant longer.
As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, toptenpick.com earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are subject to change.