The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts

by Shinta Cho

A simple and straightforward description of a natural process.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Science, Humor, Nonfiction, Animals, Bodies

28 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually quite unique. It discusses the reasons for up wind, and down wind. Yes, farts! Toilet humour is a fave in this household, so when stumbling across a pooey title, I will always snap it up. Diagrams and easy to understand terms, this really is quite good. Funny to be discussing this in a way, don't you agree?!

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

haha. This is the reason all animals fart. My brother had me read this before he got kids. Now that he has them, they love this book and Laugh with it.

Informative.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the anatomical drawings and scientific explanations. Lots of humor, too!

I also want to add that Goodreads has just let me know that people who've read The Gas We Pass have also read: Einstein: His Life and Universe and Middlesex. Clearly this book is most popular among kids of smart people! Therefore, flatulence implies intelligence.

[Slytano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could not decide if I should give this one star or five. It is either the greatest book I have ever read, or the absolute worst.

Pros:
A man and a boy get knocked on their asses after standing too close to a farting elephant.
LSD art.
Weird as shit.

Cons:
The same man and boy fart naked in a bathtub together, and you can see the boy's ding dong.
LSD art.
Weird as shit.

Seriously, what the hell is this shit? The protagonist/pedophile resembles Wimpy from Popeye.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shinta Cho incorporates simple facts about anatomy with simple drawings of people and other animals simply farting. I am always amused and heartened when reading this book and that's why it sits proudly and worthily on my Top Shelf.

In the hope that more folks will read it, as of π Day 2025, ebay has a copy for sale and the seller has provided every page as a separate image which means
YOU CAN READ IT FOR FREE
[https://www.ebay.com/itm/285295869342]

Here's an example.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a five year old son, this is the book for you.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book that appeals to the potty humour in every four year old while teaching digestive anatomy at the same time! My kid rarely sat on the toilet without discussing "how poop is made" for months after this book arrived in our home.

[Esteban del Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's ok to fart.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous look at a very funny subject, this "story of farts" contains some interesting scientific information, too. Kids will learn how food is digested, why some toots smell worse than others, and more. Even I didn't know that each toot contains about 1/2 cup of gas (yup, ya learn somethin' new every day!) The illustrations are not my cup of tea but they are very quirky and humorous in their own way. The various humans and animals making grossed out expressions are certainly chuckle-worthy! ;-)

Also, while I personally found the illustration of the man and little boy in the bathtub and the toot bubbles to be amusing, parents should note that they are naked and we do see the front of the little boy so they may wish to skip that page if this is cause for concern in their family.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once the simple lessons of Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi are imparted, the next level is a book about "ew, who farted?"

Actually, this one is a bit more advanced than the former book, because the concepts and mechanics of flatulence require more explanation. It's pretty good, but where is the endpoint of this effluvia juvenilia? Is our next book to be Everyone Pukes; Everyone Has Ear Wax; Everyone Splooges; Lots of People Get Their Foreskins Whacked Off Against Their Will; Some People Bleed to Death; Some People Really Like Feet a Bit Too Much? I just dunno.

(KevinR@Ky 2016)

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know... hard to believe it's a favorite of mine...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story for kids about what they think is a silly subject....

[Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life! Growing up in strict religious household I had issues with beefing. For some reason I had mad gas when I was younger. It could have been the broccoli, wheat grass, milk chocolate & banana shakes my mom would make me, but who knows. Anyway, after ripping ass one too many times on the hard wooden pew at church I was called into the priest's office. He was apparently upset because 2 or 3 or 4...okay 27 times I had cut one during mass, at a time when it was silent in the church. Those cathedrals really do have incredible acoustics don't they? Okay, so I was banned from ripping. He told me that my gas was "The Devil's Breath" and that every time I let one loose Satan was speaking to me. Imagine my horror! From then on I did my level best to hold in my rotten air (at least during waking hours, goodness knows what my brother heard when I was sleeping). So, for years I was in a state of extreme piety, yet gastrointestinal purgatory. That was until I read The Gas We Pass!! Now I know what I suspected for years, that the priest was full of shit (and gas apparently). Now when I feel the urge, I just let it go: "BAAROOM!!!", just like the sweet elephant on the cover. Now my soul is free, and so is the putrid wind from my arse. Hallelujah!

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another My Body Science book in the spirit of Everyone Poops. It's more descriptive and explanatory, though, meaning it fits the 4-8 crowd better than 0-4. I have boys, but I presumably all small children are entertained by flatulence; this book capitalizes on this by providing humorous images of animals and people passing gas, while giving an introduction to the digestive process that produces it. There is one image of nudity, with two people passing gas in a bathtub, and a little boy is shown from the front. Parents who object to the word "fart" can easily fill in a more polite alternative, except for the "fartheewell" ending. The humor is mildly rude so I don't recommend leaving this within arm's reach if your children are in the habit of asking company for a read-aloud.

[CC · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Gas We Pass" is about excessive flatus; this is a somewhat crappy translation from the original Japanese, but don't pass up this informative prequel to "Everyone Poops."

[Shannon Weidner]

Found on a Little Free Library adventure

[Bess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book because it says, flat out, everyone at some point has to cut a muffin and it is ridiculous, "Friend Who Remains Nameless" to continue moaning about how gross it is because one day I will be there after you eat something gassy and will watch silently as your features contort with your attempt not to toot and then your organs will implode and yes, I will drive you to the hospital, but I will be chuckling at the irony all the way there.

Plus, it has funny pictures of people tooting in the bathtub! Ha!

[HeavyReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another good bet for the potty training set.

I think it's absolutely hilarious that Shinta Cho decided to write a kids book about farts. That's not just hilarious, but brilliant too. Maybe this shows the level of my humor, but really, I just think that at a basic level, there is something really funny about farts.

[TK Keanini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindergarten humor. Great book.

[Natalia Ospina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is great for the can...

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an exciting tale of farts!=)

[EscaPe iNTo thE PaGEs · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father gave me this book when I was very young and I still own it today. I will definitely pass it on to my own child when/if I have one:) I think every parent should have a copy:)

[Michelle Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best. Book. Ever.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This humorous actually offers scientific explanations as to why we pass gas.

[Anagha Kangovi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shinta Cho’s The Gas We Pass remains, in my opinion, one of the most important and influential works of the last 20 years. A truly raw, powerful depiction of the human experience. Who are we? Why are we here? "If you try to hold your farts, your stomach may hurt, you could get dizzy or get a headache," postulates Cho, eloquently conveying to readers the paramount value of expressing oneself unreservedly and unabashedly. "Some farts smell bad, and some don’t," she argues, seamlessly incorporating into the novel what I suspect are some Buddhism-inspired philosophies, of pleasure and pain’s impermanence and ephemerality. Existing is hard, particularly so in a world where we don’t have all the answers. Cho recognizes this and provides an answer of her own: "These gases are made when your left over food is broken down by bacteria and becomes poop. That’s why farts stink!" I’ll admit I found myself tearing up here. What is our purpose, if not to console one another in times of doubt and uncertainty? I was thinking of taking a 21st Century Art course at the start of the semester, and though I ultimately decided against it, I have every confidence that Stinchecum's illustrations here constitute a substantial proportion of the syllabus. I say this, for rarely does one lay their eyes on flatulence-themed art so evocative and divine. Now I’m yet to read Herbert P. Bix’s Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan, but I’ve lost many a night of sleep pondering the question of why Cho was so devastatingly robbed of the Pulitzer in 2001. I guess I should just let it go.

I guess I should just pass my gas.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was gifted to my son by my husband’s nieces. He’s too little to comprehend it right now but he likes the elephant on the cover. Highly educational and an easy read for kids. I’d recommend it to a first or second grade classroom

[Rachel Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative! Amazing illustrations.

[Norah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book, despite the fact that the book everybody poops by the similar concept and same translator is undeniably a better book. This is a child's coming of age novel about something we all do FART. This is a great way to explain the smelly thing that you can do, to your child. It makes everybody in the room laugh and helps kids learn.
4/5 stars

[Clay Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important and moving.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It taught me a lot there is to know about gas. It talked about how when you swallow air by eating too fast it can cause you to pass gas. It also explained why farts stink. They stink because gases fun din your large intestine are made when leftover food is broken down by bacteria, rots, and becomes poop. Another thing that it taught me was that the animals who eat meat have smellier farts than the ones who eat things like potatoes and grass. I also learned that if you try to hold your farts you might get dizzy or get a stomach ache. another thing that this book teaches you is that in one day 2 cups of gas are released in farts. Read this book to learn more about gas. :)