Toby Tootles

5.0

0.0 (0)

401 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Stephanie Gibeault

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Mary Sullivan

Publisher

Sleeping Bear Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

March 15, 2023

ISBN

978-1534111790

Buy This Book

Toby is having the best birthday party ever until an ill-timed and unintended toot draws unwelcome attention and teasing. Poor Toby--he is so embarrassed! And now everyone is calling him "Tootles." To get out from under his cloud of shame, Toby goes to visit his grandmother, hoping to get some sympathy and understanding. But as it turns out, Grandma is a bit of a gasbag herself with her own windy issues. She toots not once, not twice, but THREE times during Toby's visit. And she's not even embarrassed about it! But Toby is. He's embarrassed by her and for her. It's only when Toby is facing another digestive episode that he realizes maybe it's time to follow Grandma's lead and not let little things get in the way of enjoying life. After all, gas happens! A sweet and funny lesson on how to handle life's hiccups and other unexpected "eruptions."

Editor review

1 review

Funny and Helps With Self Esteem

May 30, 2023

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

After tooting in school, Toby becomes embarrassed because his classmates give him the nickname Toby Tootles. He quickly adapts the fear of what others think of him and struggles with his self-esteem. But when he visits his grandma, he's surprised to discover that she lets gas slip out like it's nothing. She even laughs and brushes it off. Toby soon becomes embarrassed by her when they're around others. But with one toot after another, grandma shows him that it isn't something to fret over.

TOBY TOOTLES teaches children that everybody passes gas and it's completely normal. I love how green represents gas and how adorable the illustrations are. It's funny to see how nonchalant Toby's grandma is and it reminds me of my own. My daughter and I laughed through this entire book and it's important to curve bad bullying habits with books like these too. It's a book that should even be shared in a classroom because of the resonating message and how it applies to all children.

Final Verdict: Using humor as a weapon, TOBY TOOTLES helps teach children about self-esteem issues and how to overcome them. It also teaches them that bodily functions like passing gas are normal and not something to be embarrassed of.