by Margaret McNamara ; illustrated by Allison Black ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 12, 2019
Distracting design aside, the book’s wholehearted embrace of its subject should make it welcome in many a toddler’s...
A potty-training book with potty humor aplenty.
Mason and Mia are ready to potty train. But the story starts before they reach toddlerhood, when a woman holds baby Mason aloft and at arm’s length while a man with a purplish-gray beard holds baby Mia out in front of himself. “When Mason and Mia were babies, they pooped a lot,” reads the explanatory accompanying text. It seems they’re fraternal twins in a multiracial family (mom presents black and dad presents white), although different-colored backgrounds in the digitally produced cartoon art could make some readers think they’re unrelated and are in different settings. But such understanding isn’t the point—potty humor is. Wherever these babies are, and whoever they are to each other, their “small…big…messy…tidy…easy…tough...smelly…and cute poops” are referenced with parents’ attending, funny reactions. Then toddler Mason stands before a green background on the verso and toddler Mia in a yellow space on the recto, each beside a potty labeled with their name. They joke about what the potties are for until they simultaneously realize, “A poop is coming!” Seated on their respective thrones (which have, for some reason, switched pages) they successfully encourage each other to follow the titular injunction.
Distracting design aside, the book’s wholehearted embrace of its subject should make it welcome in many a toddler’s household. (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-12440-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Nov. 25, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
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by Janee Trasler ; illustrated by Janee Trasler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2014
Spritely entertainment and gentle encouragement for toddlers.
A pig, cow and sheep attempt to toilet train a brood of boisterous chicks.
In lighthearted dialogue rendered in verse, the three Chickies tell each of their caregivers that they know what the potty is for and can use it independently. This assertion proves to be false, as the chicks splash in the water, play with the toilet paper and jump on the towels. With loving patience, their barnyard companions gently correct this behavior. After three wrong turns, the trio finally “tinkle” in the potty appropriately and enjoy some delighted praise. In the companion volume, Bedtime for Chickies, the threesome have a difficult time getting to sleep. They ask the cow for water, the pig for a trip to the potty and the sheep for a bedtime story. Their keepers are not quite as patient here and in fact fall asleep on the job. The chicks finally nod off, each one cradled in the arms of one of their caretakers. Trasler employs a shaky line to create bold, droll cartoons on flecked and muted backgrounds. The chicks are pleasing in their simplicity: round yellow circles with dots for eyes and sideways V’s for beaks.
Spritely entertainment and gentle encouragement for toddlers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-227469-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HarperFestival
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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by David McPhail ; illustrated by David McPhail ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 5, 2014
Clarity and humor carry the day.
A piglet toddler learns to walk.
After growing bored, Baby Pig Pig learns to pull himself up, climb out of his playpen and walk out of the living room into the kitchen, all in the course of a day. Simple declarative sentences narrate the adventure. “He stood up and tried to walk. / He fell down. // Baby Pig Pig tried again. / This time he did it!” In companion title Baby Pig Pig Talks, the piglet struggles to say his first word. While walking with his mama, stroller-bound Baby Pig Pig tries to repeat words his mother utters as she points things out to him, to funny effect. She says, “Cat,” and he says, “Duba.” In both titles, when Baby Pig Pig finally reaches his milestone (taking his first steps, saying “Mama”), he receives a loving hug from his mom. An older Pig Pig previously starred in several picture books by McPhail, and here, he employs the same droll pen, ink and watercolor cartoons in muted tones. While the porcine tot progresses through developmental stages much too quickly and parents may wonder about his mother’s parenting skills (she leaves him on his own for extended periods and introduces him to a hissing snake), McPhail understands the simplicity required for a story for the youngest toddlers.
Clarity and humor carry the day. (Board book. 1-2)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-58089-596-5
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Aug. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
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