The ‘Poops’ Scoop : The frank, politely illustrated book, which sold out quickly at a Brea store, is intended for children who are toilet-training. But it has become unexpectedly popular with adults too.

One of the hot-selling books regionally and across the country right now is about, well, poop.

“Everyone Poops” (Kane/Miller, $11.95), written and illustrated by Japanese author and illustrator Taro Gomi, has become an unexpected favorite among kids and adults alike.

“It tells how elephants have big poops and other animals have very small poops. That’s it. It’s great for kids who are starting to ask questions,” said Sue Painter,manager of Nature Co.’s Brea Mall store, which quickly sold its allotment.

Kane/Miller Book Publishers, a small family-owned publisher with offices in La Jolla and New York, printed 20,000 copies of the 28-page illustrated book in October. The company rushed a second printing of 20,000 copies to stores when the first unexpectedly sold out. A third printing of at least 40,000 copies will be completed this month.

Kane/Miller co-owner Madeline Kane is mystified by the book’s popularity.

“We thought it would do pretty good,” said Kane, who, along with a brother, Sandy Miller, specializes in children’s books from other countries. “But it’s been phenomenal for us. A good-selling book will do about 10,000 copies in a year, and this has sold 40,000 since October.”

Although “Everyone Poops” is intended for children of toilet-training age, it’s also great for adults who have to answer those questions, said Karin Soderberg,a nurse with Kaiser Permanente in San Diego.

Soderberg purchased one copy for two nephews who are toilet-training. Doctors and nurses at Kaiser’s pediatric gastroenterology unit use a copy to help explain bowel movements and gastrointestinal ailments to children. Kane said the book is being used in nursery schools and to help children with learning disabilities to better understand their bodies.

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The book has had other, unintended uses. “It makes the kids who are getting chemotherapy treatment laugh because it’s funny,” Soderberg said. “It’s also a great conversation piece. I had it in the elevator the other day, and three doctors who I don’t even know were grabbing it to read.”

The politely illustrated book is “a beginning science book that really addresses the needs and interests of the very young child,” Kane said. “Since we all eat, we all must poop. And it’s this basic message that this wonderful book presents in a form that is both humorous and informative.”

Gomi specializes in Japanese children’s books that have become known for their colorful and bold illustrations. Gomi’s technique “is just perfect for this particular title,” Kane said.

Although “Everyone Poops” is definitely a kids’ book, it has also found an unexpected audience among adults.

San Francisco’s Herb Caen mentioned the toilet-training tome in a recent column. Alan Cheuse,a book reviewer in Washington, D.C., told National Public Radio’s Noah Adams that the cover sells itself: “It’s one of those titles that tells you everything you need to know about the book.”

A Los Angeles Times review in June noted that “Taro Gomi’s title says it all, and the illustrations show it. There’s no puritanical, lips-pursed, grin-and-bear-it earnestness about the story.”

A second title in a planned series on children and their bodies--”The Holes in Your Nose,” by another Japanese author--will be published in March.

Kane was taken aback by adult interest in the book. “We knew we would do really well in the nursery school realm,” Kane said. “But we were totally shocked at adults buying it for other adults . . . . I really don’t know how to explain it. It’s not normally something people would talk about.”