Let's be honest. Some things in life are just inherently funny, and intestinal gas is right at the top of that list for anyone under the age of ten. Or forty. When William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray first introduced the world to walter the farting dog, they tapped into a universal truth: kids love a misunderstood hero, especially if that hero has a serious flatulence problem. It’s been decades since the first book hit the shelves in 2001, yet the series remains a staple of elementary school libraries and "banned book" lists alike.
Walter is a dog. He's a fat, gray, lovable stray who gets adopted from the pound by Billy and Betty. He seems like the perfect pet, except for one glaring, stinky issue. He farts. A lot. He farts so much that the father in the family eventually loses his patience and decides Walter has to go back to the pound. It’s a classic setup for a redemption arc, and Walter delivers in the most digestive way possible.
The brilliance of the walter the farting dog book series isn't just the toilet humor. It's the collaboration between the writers and illustrator Audrey Colman. Her artwork is weird. It’s collage-based, slightly surreal, and gives the books a distinct personality that separates them from the polished, safe look of most modern children’s literature. There is a gritty, almost underground-comic vibe to the visuals that makes the absurd premise feel even more grounded in its own bizarre reality.
The Weird History of Walter the Farting Dog
Believe it or not, Walter was based on a real dog. A real, very gassy dog. Glenn Murray once explained that the inspiration came from a real-life canine named Walter who lived in British Columbia. The real Walter was apparently a "gas giant" in his own right.
The publishing journey wasn't exactly a breeze. Kotzwinkle and Murray shopped the manuscript around for years. Most publishers didn't want to touch a book about a dog that passed gas. They thought it was "low-brow." They thought it was gross. They were right, of course, but they underestimated how much kids—and parents who don't take themselves too seriously—would love that grossness. Eventually, North Atlantic Books took a chance on it. The rest is history.
It became a New York Times bestseller. It stayed there for weeks. People were buying it for their kids, but they were also buying it for their "dog-loving" friends as a gag gift. Then the sequels started coming.
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- Walter the Farting Dog: Farts Again (2004)
- Walter the Farting Dog Goes on a Cruise (2005)
- Walter the Farting Dog: Banned from the Beach (2007)
- Walter the Farting Dog and the Plot to Banish the Flatulence (Which is actually a longer chapter book version)
Each story follows a similar pattern. Walter’s flatulence causes a massive problem or social embarrassment. Then, through some stroke of luck or bizarre circumstance, that very same flatulence saves the day. In the first book, he literally gags two burglars with his gas, leading to their arrest. He's a hero. A stinky, maligned hero.
Why Do People Still Talk About These Books?
Some critics hate these books. They really do. They see them as a decline in literary standards. But if you look closer, the walter the farting dog book series actually deals with some pretty heavy themes.
Rejection. Loyalty. Being different.
Walter is constantly on the verge of being abandoned. He knows he has a "flaw." He tries to hold it in, which, as any medical professional (or human) will tell you, is quite painful. There’s a scene where Walter tries to stop farting by changing his diet, but nothing works. It’s a metaphor for self-acceptance, even if that self-acceptance smells like rotten eggs.
Actually, let's talk about the ban. These books are frequently challenged. In some districts, parents have tried to get them removed from shelves because they find the word "fart" offensive. It’s fascinating because, compared to what kids see on YouTube or TikTok today, Walter is remarkably wholesome. He’s a dog who loves his family. He wants to be good. He just can't help his biology.
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The writing style is punchy. It’s rhythmic. Kotzwinkle, who also wrote the novelization for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, knows how to pace a story. He doesn't over-explain the joke. He lets the absurdity speak for itself.
The Cultural Impact of a Gassy Canine
You can find Walter plush toys. There are shirts. At one point, there was even talk of a movie. In the mid-2000s, there were rumors that the Jonas Brothers were going to be involved in a film adaptation. Can you imagine? The teen heartthrobs of the decade starring in a movie about a dog with chronic flatulence. It never happened, but the fact that it was even a conversation shows how big this brand became.
It also paved the way for other "gross-out" children's books. Before Walter, things were a bit more sanitized. After Walter, we saw an explosion of books that embraced the messy parts of being alive. It gave authors permission to be silly without needing a deep, moralizing lesson at the end of every page.
How to Approach These Books Today
If you're a parent or a teacher looking at the walter the farting dog book series, don't overthink it. It's meant to be read aloud. The text is designed for performance. You have to do the voices. You have to lean into the "pfffft" and "braaaap" sound effects.
One thing that often gets overlooked is the vocabulary. For a book about farts, it uses some surprisingly sophisticated words. It doesn't talk down to kids. It treats the "problem" of Walter’s gas with the kind of mock-seriousness that children find hilarious.
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Here is what you need to know if you are starting a collection:
- Start with the original. The first book is the tightest and has the most iconic "save the day" moment.
- Look for the hardcovers. Audrey Colman’s art is dense. You want to see the textures and the weird little background details that get lost on a small screen or a cheap paperback.
- Read the "Trouble at the Yard Sale" book. It’s one of the funnier sequels involving a "fart-catching" machine that, predictably, goes horribly wrong.
Basically, Walter is the underdog. Everyone loves an underdog. Even if that underdog needs a lot of ventilation.
Final Practical Advice for Readers
If you want to introduce your kids to the walter the farting dog book series, use it as a bridge. If you have a reluctant reader who thinks books are "boring" or "too school-like," hand them Walter. It breaks the ice. It shows them that books can be irreverent.
Next Steps for the Budding Collector: * Check local thrift stores: These books were so popular in the 2000s that they are almost always sitting in the children's section of used bookstores for a dollar or two.
- Compare the Illustrators: While Colman did the main series, there are spin-offs and different editions. Stick to the Colman originals for the authentic "Walter" experience.
- Pair it with a "science" talk: If you want to be "educational," use Walter as a segue into talking about digestion or how the atmosphere works. Or just laugh at the dog. Honestly, just laughing at the dog is enough.
The series isn't going anywhere. As long as there are kids and as long as those kids have a sense of humor, Walter will have a place on the shelf. He is the stinky reminder that even our most embarrassing traits can sometimes be our greatest strengths.
Actionable Insight: To get the most out of the series, focus on the "Banned from the Beach" and "Cruise" titles for summer reading. They offer a great entry point for kids who might be nervous about traveling or trying new things, using Walter's "condition" as a humorous way to discuss social anxiety and public mishaps. Search for the "20th Anniversary Edition" of the original book if you want high-quality prints of the collage art, which includes additional notes on the book's origins.