Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle & Glenn Murray ages 4-8 32 pages North Atlantic Books October 2001 Hardcover     Almost every child has felt, at one time or another, that they don’t belong. For those children, they might feel a little better about their situation if they pick up an unorthodox (and quite funny) book called Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray. Poor Walter is adopted from the pound by a lovely family with two children named Betty and Billy. The family notices a smell when they bring Walter home but figure he just needs a bath. It’s soon evident, though, that the problem runs deeper than that. Walter farts. All the time. He farts so much that Betty and Billy’s father decides he can’t take it anymore and that Walter needs to go back to the pound. Walter, knowing that he may not get to stay in his new home, decides to hold his gas—forever. Will Betty and Billy get to keep their dog or will Walter explode from the gas? Yes, it’s a subject that some parents may not want to talk about, but it’s a fact that nearly every kid finds farting funny. If you don’t mind your kids thinking and talking about farting, this book is a winner. When you put this cute story together with the wildly original artwork by Audrey Coleman, you get an irresistible book that is as hilarious as it is touching. Depending on when you want your kids to start using the word “fart” (and they will after reading this book), Walter the Farting Dog is probably best for older kids, though younger kids who may not yet understand the concept of “farting” will probably get a kick out of the pictures, if nothing else. Although it’s not for every child (or every parent for that matter), those families who don’t mind if their kids use the F word (fart, that is) will get a kick out of Kotzwinkle and Murray’s book. As well as being quite amusing (especially for kids who find potty-humor funny), Walter the Farting Dog has a good message and illustrations that will make all readers smile.     web reviews   Angela McQuay/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)