Potty Animals: What to Know When You've Gotta Go!

PreSchool-K—"Most critters are quite tidy:/a clean and pleasant lot./But now and then you'll meet a few/young beasties who are not." So begins this humorous guide that addresses checking one's zipper, washing hands with soap, lifting the toilet seat, and remembering to flush. All of these rules are taught in a preschool setting, with animal characters. The rhyming text is humorous without being silly, and gives some important instruction. At the end of each description of a given problem, there is a reminder of the correct behavior in a larger font ("Stanley, use the toilet!"). There isn't really a gross-out factor with this book—all of the behaviors and descriptions are appropriate for the audience. The funny situations will make for uproarious reading. The animal characters are endearing and friendly, with slightly exaggerated tails, ears, and noses. Potty Animals is a practical yet fun addition.—Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ
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Kids will learn the rules of toilet training in this cheerful, rhyming picture book that introduces a cast of “young beasties” who make mistakes in their preschool’s potty until they realize how to handle all the aspects of hygiene, cleanliness, privacy, and finishing up (“flush and zip”).Wilma tends to wait too long before she goes to the potty, and sometimes she is too late. Freddie is afraid to flush, so he acts like he forgets. Helga reads and dreams on the toilet while a line of kids wait to use it. In the schoolyard, Arnold is great at shooting the ball in the net, but when it is time to go to the bathroom, he isn’t always accurate; he hits the lid, then the floor: “Yuck! Lift the seat.” Benji, who tends to barge in on others, learns his lesson when someone does the same to him: “Knock first!” Never intimidating, this informative, fun title, illustrated in smooth, candy-colored artwork, shows that everyone can mess up, get over it, and learn to change. Preschool. --Hazel Rochman