Does It Fart?

August 12, 2019
Do horses fart? What about unicorns, parrots, and spiders? Caruso and Rabaiotti attempt to answer in this laugh-out-loud spin on their adult title of the same name. Describing the science behind passing gas, the book explores flatulence in 19 different species (in existence and otherwise), presenting each animal and then asking “Does it fart?” Most often the answer is “yes,” and the book is full of outrageous examples: the secret fart codes used by herrings, beaded lacewing babies’ deadly toots, whales’ enormous stinkers, and the perfectly ubiquitous gas of human kids. Minimal pen, ink, and digital cartoons by Griffiths emphasize the innate humor of the subject and pair well with Caruso and Rabaiotti’s silly but science-filled text. Sure, farts are funny, but they’re also a normal part of living (and eating). Ages 4–8.

Starred review from September 15, 2019
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* Rightly claiming that their topic is both funny and scientific, the authors of adult title Does It Fart? The Definitive Guide to Animal Flatulence (2018) boil down their roster of animals from 80 to 19 and digest the narrative to pithy gags and explanations. Along with answers to the titular question?�which range from Yes! for horses and dogs to No! for parrots, Not anymore! for dinosaurs, and Nobody knows! for spiders?readers will get a good whiff of wonder from claims that, for instance, beaded lacewings emit toxic farts that immobilize their prey, dead whales can actually explode from internal pressure, and herring communicate using a secret fart code too high-pitched for predators to hear. How about unicorns? Well, they don't exist, but if they were anything like horses, they would fart a ton and the gas would likely be mixed with rainbows and glitter and cupcakes. Griffiths adds views of simply drawn cartoon creatures with googly eyes, clouds of gas shooting from one or both ends, and, often, an observer's appreciative comment: There he goes again! Whoa! That was massive! From opening overview of the diverse anatomical processes that lead to passing gas to closing reminder that everyone does it (even kids), this is a savory blast for all who appreciate humor on an alimentary level. And science, of course.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)