Critical thinking and skepticism seem like two of the most important qualities to instill in kids. They’re also some of the more elusive things to teach. There are no tables to memorize, no nursery rhymes to help children question what they’re told. These thought patterns are learned gradually, so books like The Stinky Cheese Man can stimulate the process of questioning pop-culture artifacts—and maybe even the world at large. Scieszka and Smith’s stories are also just entertaining, giving parents a healthy alternative to the good ol’ whiskey-in-warm-milk routine to put their kids to bed.