Who knows why, but people laugh at flatulence. That famous scene from Blazing Saddles, whoopee cushions, and a host of other scenarios drive home the fact that, like it or not, people think farts are funny. Granted, it’s not something you want to do during a wedding ceremony, for instance, but there are probably hundreds of YouTube videos out there that document just that type of occurrence. We’re assuming here, because we didn’t have the heart to enter “wedding farts” into the search field of YouTube. You can do it if you want. Go ahead.
Instead, we give you these 7 books about farts. Some are kids books (because nobody thinks farts are funnier than a little kid – except for all my male relatives – they think they’re pretty funny) and some are educational books, but either way, you’re in for a riotous (if not stinky) good time with these literary finds.
The Fart Book ![The Fart Book by Donald Wetzel]()
by Donald Wetzel
A title doesn’t really get more straightforward than that. This book, written for kids, is truly fun for the whole family. It clearly and plainly explains the human digestive system and the reason for flatulence, as well as making plenty of fun at the same time. Unfortunately, you have to read the book to get a real idea, because the Amazon profile is pretty lean. Skip right to the user comments – and you’ll see that this book is a winner for kids and adults alike.
Did Somebody Step on a Duck: A Natural History of the Fart
by Jim Dawson
This fun book gives you a history of the fart, not in the gastrointestinal sense, but in the pop-culture sense. Dawson alleges that the first fart joke was actually the first joke ever – it originated in Old Babylonia. He also talks about the fart’s appearance at many other points through history – in the news, in popular culture, and in literature. Dawson, who has been called “The King of Farts” has also written two other books that belong on this list – Who Cut The Cheese? A Cultural History of the Fart, and Blame it on the Dog: A Modern History of the Fart. Since we didn’t want to saturate this post with the same author, this particular entry could be 3 of the 7 books on the list, and make sure you check out all three. Dawson knows so much about farts that he’s managed to fill three whole books on the subject. I’d say he’s our expert.
The Magic Fart
by Piers Anthony
OK, this isn’t a book wherein you can learn about farts. It is a novel by Piers Anthony (heard of him?) and in it there is a place called the Land of Fartingale. Farts are magical there. Why, we ask you, wouldn’t you want to read a book wherein farts are magical? Well, for one, Piers Anthony is sort of, well, racy. So if you don’t like sexually explicit books, you’re probably better off to avoid this sequel to Pornucopia, which is said to “transgress all bounds of everyday good taste.”
Bubble Homes and Fish Farts
by Fiona Bayrock and Carolyn Conahan
While not strictly a book about farts, this is a delightful childrens book about fish and the bubbles that surround them. The “fart” in the title of the book actually refers to Fast Repetitive Tick – the farty noise that herrings use as their own underwater Morse code. For a book geared toward 8-12 year-olds, it is simply brimming with scientific information but it’s presented in such a kid-friendly and accecssible way that your child will enjoy learning something that most people don’t even know.
The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts
by Shinta Cho
This book, geared toward children younger than those targeted in the book mentioned above, is a frank and open book about all forms of farting – animal, human, and otherwise. It’s a good starting explanation for those funny noises kids laugh at, and if your youngin is the curious type, this will explain farting a little better than “that’s the noise that happens when Daddy’s tummy hurts,” which was an explanation overheard recently at our local grocery store. This isn’t the most informative book, but it’s a good start, and the illustrations will likely make your child laugh.
Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder
by Jo Nesbo and Mike Lowery
This is another story about farts, rather than being a book explaining something about farts, but it is a surprisingly fun story nonetheless. A young boy moves into a new neighborhood and makes friends with an inventor named Dr. Proctor. Dr. Proctor invented a magic powder that causes farts, but constant improvements on the formula eventually make it so Nilly (the young boy) farts so powerfully that he flies to outer space. What kid wouldn’t love that story?
The Art of the Fart
by Steve Bryant
It might not be the most authoritative book on breaking wind, farting, flatulence, or whatever you choose to call it, but it might well be the most fun. Full of silent movie pictures to enhance the funny, this book touches on famous farts and farters, a religious aspect to the farting process, and a list of the best fart-related books, songs, and movies. So, it might not be the best, but it’s certainly the boldest, book about farts.
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