Farts - The Story Behind The Story

This is my favourite behind the scenes story for sure! Many of you are familiar with our best selling ‘Farts’ book and the Farts Rap-A-Long song on YouTube but not everyone knows how they came to be.

A few years ago I was very excited to be returning to my elementary school, Lakeside P.S, to share my Friendly Fables stories with their elementary students. 

I arrived in the library and was greeted by smiling, eager faces. I could picture myself as a young boy in the crowd, so I really wanted my performances that day to be special. 

I proceeded to read for the Kindergarten and Grade 1 students and finished my performance with ‘How To Bake A Monster Cake’. When I reached the part in the story with the gross monster cake ingredients the kids lost their minds! Especially at the mention of ‘a dog fart’. 

Hearing the laughter that ensued in that moment, I was reminded how funny Farts are to kids. The smiles and giggles that followed through the rest of the book really motivated me.

As the students from the first group were leaving the library, a teacher told me that the book I had read, ‘How To Bake A Monster Cake’, sounded like a rap song and she dared me to rap it for the Grade 2 students who were arriving. “They will love it!” She said with a smile. 

I’m not one to turn down a challenge, especially if it involves my favourite genre of music. So at the end of my performance for the Grade 2’s, I decided to rap for them the book.

I will never forget the look on those kids' faces. Something awakened inside of me and their smiles and cheers made the book come to life! 

So much so that at one part in the book the teachers who were watching the performance joined in with their own hook/chorus from around the Library “Boogers and Farts will make it great!”

I left that library that day a changed man. I went home knowing I needed to write a ‘Farts’ Rap-A-Long book for kids. That night for dinner we had tacos and the first line I wrote in the book was “When it’s taco night and there’s refried beans, I know I will fart all night in my dreams.” 

The ‘Farts’ book is now a Friendly Fables best seller and the Rap-A-Long music video has hit over 300,000 views! Thank you to the awesome Lakeside teachers that inspired me that day and to all the kids for reminding me how funny Farts are. Thanks for reading.