Monster Fart Wars
Farts vs. Burps
It’s a fight for resources on one side of Gas Mountain, where residents willing to share and forgive teach an important lesson to kids.
A. M. Shah’s Monster Fart Wars is a silly and entertaining story for young children who enjoy bathroom humor. With bodily functions making up both the landscape and the characters, this is a book about fighting for resources as well as a lesson about sharing and forgiveness.
The story is narrated from the perspective of Fartville’s mayor, Donald Fart. Fartville residents are friendly and happy, unlike their neighbors in the town on the other side of Gas Mountain, Burpville. When a major fartquake cuts off the gas supply to Burpville, its residents show up in Fartville looking for a new supply. Though Fartville is happy to share, Burpville brings an army and forces the residents of Fartville to go hide in Butt-Cave. Along with the other inhabitants of Fartville, Donald must find a way to take back the town and decide what to do with the invaders.
The writing in Monster Fart Wars is clear and concise, just right for early readers. The humor surrounding bodily functions may not have universal appeal, but it will no doubt leave children in fits of giggles. Parents may choose to use the book as a catalyst for discussing when bathroom jokes are, and are not, appropriate.
The characters in the book take all of their personality traits from the town in which they live: “Burps were known for being grumpy. After all, Burps came from indigestion, which isn’t comfortable. But Farts were made to relieve. So we were always in a good mood.” The environment otherwise parallels the real world, with Fartacinnos from Fartbucks, fancy shoes branded as Fart-Vatans, and and even a famous body builder named Fartenegger. These parallels are entertaining and help to draw a quick and easy picture of Fartville.
The plotline is very straightforward. There are no twists or turns to draw away from the central action and no subplots to contend with. Young children are likely to find the story very approachable as a result, and Fartville’s willingness to share what it has and to forgive the Burps for trying to take it from them contains a very appropriate lesson for children.
Monster Fart Wars ends on a cliffhanger, hinting at another story to follow. Parents may cringe at the thought of what comes next, but children will most likely be delighted.
Reviewed by
Catherine Thureson
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
