Walter the Farting Dog: Trouble at the Yard Sale

Walter the Farting Dog: Trouble at the Yard Sale
Written by: William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray
Illustrated by: Audrey Colman
Dutton Children’s Books $24.00
Recommended for dog lovers of all ages

Walter is passing through town again in this silly adventure of a gaseous nature. As a follow-up to the original best-selling, Walter story, Betty, Billy and their Dad are having a yard sale. For some unknown reason, no one is coming near their table (Gee, I wonder if the fact that Walter is sitting nearby has anything to do with it!) When Billy and Betty venture off to get an ice cream treat, their father is overcome with relief (and a touch of greed) when is asked if the dog is for sale.

He quickly seals the deal with the purchaser so that when the children return he tells them Walter has simply wondered off. Like all good pet-owners they set out to find him.

Unbeknownst to the children, Walter is now the property of a balloon-bearing clown who robs banks. He has been purchased simply to inflate balloons with his near-fatal gas that are then used to help knock-out employees thereby enabling the clown to successfully rob the bank.

As with all good stories, there is a happy ending to this tale (pardon the pun!) Walter ends up saving the day by leading the police to the clown’s apartment and he returns to his family to live happily ever after.

Glenn Murray, of Fredericton, has teamed up with William Kotzwinkle to create yet another good story that will really resonate with reluctant readers. Unfortunately, boys often fall into this category more often than their female counterparts so despite the somewhat smelly subject matter, you may have a hard time getting boys away from this book.