Have You Seen My Potty?

Have You Seen My Potty?

by Mij Kelly
Illustration by Mary McQuillan

When it's time for potty training, both toddlers and parents will have fun with this book. Told in verse, it's the story of Suzy Sue, who has something very important to do. The truth is, she needs to poo and someone has snatched her potty away. Kids will laugh at the big, bright color illustrations as they turn each page, and as Mom or Dad reads Suzy funny story. Worried, she goes running all around the farmyard, asking each of the animals if they have seen her potty. Fortunately all is well in the end and toddlers will be encouraged to use a potty, just like Suzy Sue.

As children approach the potty training age, books are often a good tool to encourage them to ditch their diaper days and embark on the big kid adventures of the potty. Reading this silly book about a little girl who "has something very important to do" but had her potty seat snatched out from under her by mischievous farm animals will not only give your toddler a case of the giggles but may inspire them to use their own potty seat. The farm animals are drawn in cartoon-form but are easily recognizable for the children. The story is told in rhyme, which creates a melodic flow that young kids will enjoy.

Reading about poor Suzy Sue's frantic search for her potty around the farm provides parents with the opportunity to discuss with their child the importance of the potty chair. Kids may even enjoy reading this story while sitting on their own potty seat! The animals are drawn with great body language and facial expressions that demonstrate their need to go to the bathroom and kids will probably be able to relate to that cross-your-legs feeling.

Beware that this book can lead to some interesting discussions about "pee" and "poo," but when you're trying to potty train a child, those talks can come in handy. I read this story to Heather, who is in the process of being potty trained and she was fascinated with the animals use of the potty seat. After seeing so many animals give the "poo-pot" a try, she decided to try too!  Emily, who is already potty trained, instead focused on the sharing aspect of the story. Each time an animal passed the potty on to the next animal, she pointed out that they were sharing!

--Abby