From toddlers giggling at their own farts, to Granny regaling unsuspecting dinner guests with graphic accounts of her bowel woes, humankind has always had a fascination with toilet tales. Since the poop emoji burst onto the scene in 2010, it has remained one of the most widely used emojis of all time, peaking during last year’s US presidential election (coincidence?)
Quite apart from being giggle-worthy, this obsession with bodily emissions serves a more useful function. Paying attention to our ‘outgoings’ is important for our health.
Books that deal with fart and poo tend to be both fun and informative. They are also a terrific hook for kids who are normally reluctant to read.
Here at Stuck On You, we have searched high and low -very low – to bring you a list of our favourite poo and fart books. Happy reading!
MAGURA CAVE – Various Bulgarian cave people, probably.
A search for earliest poo books threw up this prehistoric wonder. With over 700 cave paintings, Magura Cave’s artists used bat poo to etch their creations. Yum!
EVERYBODY POOS – Taro Gomi
This one’s a modern classic. Japanese author, Taro Gomi penned the book Minna Unchi in 1977, which has since been translated into English (UK – Everybody poos; USA – Everybody poops). This illustrated book provides a straightforward explanation of the types of poos that animals and humans create.
WHAT DO THEY DO WITH ALL THE POO IN THE ZOO? Anh Do
Beloved Aussie comedian Anh Do has turns his talents towards this delightful tale. Presented in rhyme, the book asks, what happens with all the poo in the zoo? It is speculated that it could be used as a pizza topping or mixed into chocolate ice cream. A good, if somewhat gruesome, lesson in not wasting, erm, waste.
IT HURTS WHEN I POOP! A STORY FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE SCARED TO USE THE POTTY – Howard J Bennett, MD.
Written by a medical doctor, this book tells the story of a boy who doesn’t want to poo because he is afraid it will hurt. This book is great for potty training as well as encouraging healthy eating habits in kids.
WHERE’S THE POOP? – Julie Markes
Everyone has a place to poop in this lift-the-flap adventure.
JANE AND THE GIANT POOP – Suzanne Schlosberg & Steve Hodges, MD
In our quest for gender equality, it’s important to have a poo book with a female lead. Another funny (and educational) book about healthy poos, this delightful rhyming book was co-written by a paediatric urologist and parenting expert.
When her giant poo clogs the toilet, Jane seeks the advice of Dr. Pooper, who tells her why her belly has been aching. From there, Jane becomes an expert on poo and its various shapes and sizes.
WHAT’S YOUR POO TELLING YOU? – Josh Richman & Anish Sheth, MD.
This book is aimed at adults and older readers, but provides a useful guide to what you can learn about your own and your family’s health by examining what’s in the bowl. What does a “Floater” mean? How about the “Log Jam” or the “Deja Poo”? Accompanied by unusual case histories and fun facts, this is an educational and entertaining read.
WHAT’S YOUR POO TELLING YOU? ACTIVITY BOOK – Josh Richman & Anish Sheth, MD.
By the same authors as the above (as you can probably tell by the poo-brown book cover), this Activity Book deserves its own mention. Learn more about poo, pee and farts through fun activities like find-a-word, spot the difference and poodoku.
THE FANTASTIC FLATULENT FART BROTHERS’ BIG BOOK OF FARTY FACTS – M.D. Whalen
Moving on to less solid, more airy-fairy topics (hee hee), let’s talk about farts – just as amusing as poo, with fun sounds to boot.
This terrific book is aimed at kids aged around 9-12 and chronicles ancient fart jokes, the legality of farts (did you know they are illegal in Africa?) and the health benefits of farting (for both farter and fartee), among many other fun fart facts.
FARTS: A SPOTTER’S GUIDE – Crai S Bower
This hilarious book profiles ten common fart types, from the gentle hiss of the Silent-but-Deadly to the ground-shaking boom of the Seismic Blast. The attached battery-powered sound machine vividly reproduces each emission, providing not only a useful learning aid but also a great revenge tool for those pesky telemarketers.
But wait, there’s more! For those interested in further reading, there are other books in this flatulence franchise, all with the sound machine learning aid. These include:
Farts around the world – August O’Phwinn. From the practical (what is proper English tearoom etiquette for passing wind?) to the metaphysical (if a meditating Buddhist emits a silent-but-deadly, does it really exist?), this book provides the answer to many common cross-cultural cutting-the-cheese inquiries.
Old farts – Amos Tinker. This book catalogues flatulence in the autumn years of life, from “The Crank” (the fart that chases those meddlesome kids off the lawn) to “The ReAnimator” (the sudden eruption that brings Great Aunt Edna out of her post-holiday meal slumber).
DOCTOR PROCTOR’S FART POWDER – Jo Nesbo
Doctor Proctor (is he friends with Doctor Pooper?) enlists in the help of eleven-year-olds Nilly and Lisa to develop a powder that makes people fart. However, when he creates an industrial-strength version that can catapult people to outer space, Nilly and Lisa must do what they can to keep it from being used by those with evil intent.
What about you? Did you have a favourite ‘Gulp Fiction’ growing up?
- Images from amazon.com
- Feature image courtesy of Alexas_Fotos