YOU POOP HERE

This introductory guide to the wide and wonderful world of potty training is presented through the medium of wildlife.

Cheery cartoons of insects, mammals, birds, and beasts show precisely where they loose their bowels. The simple text reads, “Ant poops on dirt. / And Beetle poops on dirt. // Monkey poops from a tree. / And Squirrel poops from a tree.” Some poop in the air, some under the sea, some on mountains, and some in deserts. The gently anthropomorphized cartoon critters beam out of the page as they deposit their waste hither, thither, and yon. While potty books abound, Meisel’s stands out in its unvarnished directness and respect, simple words and pictures speaking directly at the level of young children. Following the exploration of wild animals’ defecation habits, the book asks: “Where do you poop?” In answer, Meisel shows racially diverse children sitting on different types of potties as the text reads, “You poop here! / (And pee here too!).” Simple facts and trivia about poop appear at the end. A godsend for caregivers on the prowl for potty-training aids, the book does not strive for scientific accuracy in its depiction of animal feces, most of which appear as scribbly brown lumps on the page, or defecation postures. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 28.4% of actual size.)

Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated toddlers will be able to do it thanks to this gentle guide.