Rodney's Recommended Reading:

Everyone Poops –by Taro Gomi

What a fascinating read! I have to admit that I was skeptical when Zoe suggested I visit the library for a copy of Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi. Not only is the subject matter rather delicate, I am leery of books with garish illustrations on the cover. There was an incident with a pop-up book that I don’t intend to revisit; I prefer my reading material to not jump out at me and based on the title and cover, I was nervous about what I was getting myself into.

My humans sometimes get frustrated with my reluctance to provide robust fecal samples whenever the mood strikes them. They fail to understand that even when I whine at the back door, apparently urgent in my need to relieve myself, an immediate evacuation is not guaranteed. The daunting task of creating one of my substantial bowel movements requires the utmost concentration and perfect environmental circumstances. I will abandon the task mid-squat if there is the slightest disturbance in my realm. If some wise-ass squirrel is watching me from a nearby tree – no, that simply won’t do. When the weather is warm and sunny, I may need a quick nap in the nice green-smelling grass before I bless it with the fruit of my bowels. And frankly, sometimes it just doesn’t feel right and a relaxing 20-minute stroll around the backyard helps put me in the zone. Since the humans are always pointing out that I “have all the time in the world while some of us have to get to work”, I don’t see what the issue is. I can’t fathom what their nightmare world must be like if little things like an hour-long poop in the rain causes such stress and turmoil.

Anyhow, Everyone Poops makes some good points. Some of us find pooping unpleasant and sometimes even a little bit scary. The author provides reassuring statistics and even uses humor to diffuse the tension of dealing with a sensitive topic (see the chapter on camels – hilarious!). The illustrations within are realistic and it is comforting to see that although all animals and people are different from one another, we are united in our grimacing.

If there is one flaw I could pinpoint, it is the lack of representation of dogs in the book. However, the parting message calmed my unease with its logic and simplicity:

“All living things eat, so Everyone Poops!”