A CHILDREN’S author hopes to bust taboos with her book Girls love to Fart.

Alice Clover, from Brighton, said: “I wrote this because I felt the subject had never been tackled properly. Farting is still a taboo for girls and women. But my book features girls farting in all sorts of different places and being proud of it.”

Alice said she is exasperated with the way gender determines how women are expected to behave. She also called out double standards, arguing that for men farting is not just socially acceptable, but an excuse for a laugh.

She said: “I have female friends who have never farted in front of their long-term partners but this is not the case the other way round. It is not girls and women who are wrong but society in allowing us to dislike our bodies and what they do.

“I don’t think the behaviour we expect of little girls helps them reach their full potential. I think it holds them back. There’s a stereotype that girls are all fluffy and pink and feminine. But of course we do fart and make all sorts of horrid smells. This book is all about celebrating the stinkiness of girls.”

Alice focuses on gender in her children’s books, and she is passionate about inclusivity and equality. She said she is inspired by her two daughters, who are behind many of the stories she writes. She believes her latest book could be a hit.

The book includes illustrations by Cheryl Lucas and takes the form of a rhyming poem, with lines such as: “Some girls fart when they’re eating; and some whilst picking their nose; they sometimes fart sniffing flowers; or whilst striking an elegant pose”.

Alice said: “Some people even find the word fart offensive. My oldest girl Florence had a tantrum when she saw it. I do know that others don’t agree with farting, but I grew up in a house where it was normal. The book is dedicated to my parents.”