Fart Quest: The Barf of the Bedazzler, a #2 that’s as great as the first

It’s over already? That’s an odd thing to say when you’re reading a physical book because your fingers gauge how thick the unread side of it is. Despite that, when I was finished reading Fart Quest: The Barf of the Bedazzler I was surprised that it was finished. I even thumbed back in the book a couple of pages, just to ensure that I didn’t skip a chapter or something like that. It was the equivalent of a dog licking the bottom of their bowl because they really liked dinner, and I was the golden retriever, paws deep in Fart Quest.

Fart Quest: The Barf of the Bedazzler is such a fun book to read. It’s the sort of book that fourth graders through middle school will love for the most surprising of reasons. Much like the self-titled book in the series, it involves a quest. Our three main characters, Pan, Moxie, and Fart are settling into their roles as heroes. They’re young, full of energy, and trying to master their own, unique talents. Moxie can control the elements, Pan is a strong warrior and Fart is learning how to cast spells that are actually useful. Early in The Barf of the Bedazzler, he’s trying to cast a mighty spell, but instead summons banana peels that ultimately do the job, but don’t look very cool.

The book’s title might put some potential readers away from reading it. Conversely, that title will also bring in some readers. Ultimately, both camps of readers will be rewarded, but not at the same time. If your reader is coming to The Barf of the Bedazzler because they’re under the impression that it’s a gross-out book that is 100% potty humor, they’ll be bummed out about that fact. If they’re begrudgingly coming to the book because they want to experience how juvenile a book with the word ‘fart’ in it could be, then they’ll be really disappointed.

Some kids will come for the potty humor and stay for the heart, whereas others will read it out of curiosity and laugh at the storyline. Both camps, see: most upper-elementary and middle school readers, will thoroughly enjoy the book. What’s more, through the very faint potty humor veneer, it has a story that’s full of heart, teamwork, and overcoming obstacles. If you’re a parent or educator that steers readers away from “Dog Man-esque” books, you can let down your guard and let Fart Quest in without any worries.

The Barf of the Bedazzler does have a little bit of potty humor in it, but it’s addressed early on and urges readers to get the fact that one of the main character’s names is Fart, out of their head. Instead, the main focus of the book is a magical journey full of action, mystery, and intrigue so that our trio can obtain some barf from a monster.  

I realize that it sounds contrary for potty humor hesitant parents to trust a book called Fart Quest: The Barf of the Bedazzler. There are some parents that I know who genuinely want their kids to be voracious readers, as long as it’s not this or that. However, parents, simply read the title of the book aloud for a moment. Go ahead and say it, nobody is watching.

You smiled after you said Fart Quest: The Barf of the Bedazzler, didn’t you? I bet you grinned and maybe even opened up the book. Each chapter is between seven and 11 pages, with just under half of the total pages having an illustration of some size on it. This is the perfect chapter length for those chapter book readers who are almost ready for more narrative content but would feel better if the chapter page count weren’t too high. The art by Cam Kendell, combined with the story by Aaron Reynolds creates a book that plays out like a text-heavy, all-age graphic novel. By the time readers figure out the book isn’t really about people farting all the time and that ‘barf’ is used in the subtitle mainly as a carrot to lure in young readers it’s too late. They’re firmly under the light of the anglerfish and all that they can do is read the book and have a fabulous time doing so.

Fart Quest: The Barf of the Bedazzler is by Aaron Reynolds, illustrations by Cam Kendell and available on Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillian Kids.

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