The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts (Hardcover)

~ Shinta Cho (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With a title like this, expect no surprises within. The latest Japanese import by Kane/Miller continues in the same vein as Everyone Poops and The Holes in Your Nose, exploring yet another subject generally considered taboo. Brevity reigns in both illustration (cartoons and diagrams tinted with swaths of clashing color) and text (which doesn't even attempt to be subtle). Both informative and blunt, the book provides young readers with solid facts as well as plenty to snicker about, including some sage advice ("Don't hold them in-pass that gas!") that will send parents everywhere running for the air freshener. Ages 18 mos.-4 yrs.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 1-A simplistic explanation of human and animal flatulence. The text adequately tells how gas is formed and its characteristics, although it overlooks the role of dairy products in its formation. A basic diagram shows the passage of food and air through the body. The drearily colored, amateur line cartoons depict a family of no particular race and zoo animals with sound balloons, such as "BURP!" and "BAAROOMM" being emitted from both ends. This bodily function that is the source of so much schoolyard humor may be of interest to youngsters, but they won't glean much information from this mediocre presentation.
Martha Gordon, formerly at South Salem Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 28 pages
• Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Pub; 1 edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0916291529
• ISBN-13: 978-0916291525
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #152,948 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smells like a classic to me!, December 18, 2000

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"When an elephant farts, the farts are really big." How can you resist a book with an opening line like that? "The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts" reveals this and many more facts about a basic bodily function. Written by Shinta Cho and translated into English by Amanda Mayer Stinchecum, this is one of those great children's books that doubles as a work of delightful humor for adults.

This book is not only humorous, but also educational. A diagram of the digestive system and other visual aids help to drive home the science of farts. The book is written in a matter-of-fact, totally nonjudgmental tone. The text is supplemented by drawings that have a quirky charm to them.

I suppose that some self-appointed watchdogs of "cultural purity" will whine and pout about a book that celebrates the fart as a joyous, and even noble, part of life. But for the rest of us, "The Gas We Pass" is a treasure.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars kids book that deals frankly with the mystique of gas, November 13, 2003

By	A. Ryan "Merribelle" (Westminster, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have to admit that I couldn't stop snickering the first time I read this book to my preschooler. It didn't help that the first page illustrates an elephant passing gas with KABOOM! But later on, I realized that this was the way author Shinta Cho intended to desensitize readers to what is a very taboo subject in polite society.

With a frank and straightforward style, The Gas We Pass explains in layman's terms the reason our bodies produce gas, how we expel it and why this is a healthy, natural thing. A variety of people and animals are helpfully illustrated eating and farting. There is no sense of shame or mockery in the subtext, which helps children to avoid associating gas with jokes or rudeness.

The drawings are a bit amateurish and simple, but they complement the text nicely. In all, not an exciting read, but it does explain this bodily function well for children. To this day my now five year old boy never tells fart jokes.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's that Smell?, August 9, 2000

By	Travis Taylor (Clemson, SC USA) - See all my reviews

The Gas We Pass by Shinta Cho, is a hilarious book of the reasons we pass gas. The illustrations are great. The color scheme of the pictures themselves helps the imagination grow, and suitable for children. It helps them learn the scientific concept of why gas is passed. It also tells which foods make gas stink, and how much gas actually comes out in a fart. It's really amazing what some never know. There is some inappropriate content in the book; it is a picture of a little boy and his father in the bathtub, both of whose genitals are exposed. Besides that, it is great for people of all ages. It is a book everyone should take the chance to read. I promise you, this book doesn't just let off gas; it's educational and funny and these are the two important elements of learning. So the next time you pass gas, you will think about how it happens, and there won't be anymore smell-raising questions. Enjoy!