Picture Books and Body Humor: Where's My Tushy

While Americans are notoriously squeamish about their bodies in kid lit, there are still quite a few available. For one thing, they are a surefire way to get a few giggles. They also serve as lighthearted reminders that, let’s face it, we all do it, we all go through it, or we all have one (well, maybe not). But is there more to this kind of story than burps and bottoms?

Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi has been a wildly popular body humor picture book for decades.  Colorful illustrations quite literally show how a variety of animals and people go potty, and it’s no wonder that generations of parents have turned to this book when introducing their little ones to potty-training. The author uses descriptive and comparative writing to explain to young readers that everyone indeed poops:

A one-hump camel makes a one-hump poop
And a two-hump camel makes a two-hump poop
Only kidding!

Another fun picture book with body humor is Parts by Tedd Arnold. This is an adorable story which uses funny rhyme and cartoonish pictures to have a bit of fun with a child’s self-discovery. Throughout the book, a young boy notices to his horror that things are happening to his body, and he imagines the worst. A few hairs in his comb mean he’s going bald; belly button lint is his stuffing falling out. His parents put his mind at ease by explaining that what he’s finding is normal.

My hair, my skin, and everything- 
There’s nothing I should fear?
So all of me is normal. Whew!
That’s really good to hear!
Then tell me, what’s this yellow stuff
I got out of my ear?

What’s great about this story, and so many other picture books with body humor, is that it serves as a sort of interface between parent and child to talk about their bodies. Adding a bit of comedy to what otherwise might be an uncomfortable discussion helps everyone relax. 

Other times, it’s just about having a bit of fun with bodily functions. Walter the Farting Dog is a series by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray that follows a dog named Walter who, despite a flatulence problem, is loved unconditionally by his owners and even gets to save the day. While some adults may cringe while reading about a gassy canine, it has children laughing out loud and enjoying reading.

For today's Mondays with Mira, I’ll be reviewing Where’s My Tushy? written by Deborah Aronson and illustrated by Ivica Stevanovic, a comical tale about tushies who up and leave town and whose owners are left, well, tushiless.