America IS a great place - so open, so non-judgemental, so addled. I know this thanks to The Sacramento Bee, which today in a big feature story alerted me to a book called "Walter The Farting Dog." It spent 40 weeks on The NY Times best-seller list for children's hardcovers, and there's a new sequel published by a Penguin imprint. The Canadian author appears in Sacramento Thursday, thus the big noise in The Bee.

The first "Walter" book, The Bee informs, was meant for four- to eight-year-olds, but attracted readers of all ages. Must have been the set-up. The Bee notes:

Walter's family is about to return him to the pound because of his antisocial habit. Walter understands people-speak, and he tries to hold in his gas. Just as he is about to explode, two burglars enter the family home, and he blasts them away with a heroic burst.

The oeuvre was rejected again and again over 10 years, until a Berkeley, CA publisher took the plunge. As author Glenn Murray explains to The Bee:

Something happened in those 10 years. Walter's time had come. Kids know a lot more than we'd like them to know..You've also got to give kids something they want to read..We use the word 'fart' because we know it attracts attention.

My only question: Why no Walter movie yet, or Walter action figure? The first Walter book has already got to be in a lot of public school classrooms.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at April 19, 2004 05:12 PM

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» What kids want to read from joannejacobs.com
Thanks to Matt Rosenberg and the Sacramento Bee, I am now au courant with a new best-seller for kiddies of all ages, Walter, the Farting Dog. Co-author Glenn Murray tells the Bee: "You've also got to give kids something they... [Read More]

Tracked on April 20, 2004 12:22 PM

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