Potty! [Hardcover]

Mylo Freeman (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2004 | Age Level: 1 and up

One day, the animals in the jungle find a potty and a note which says: "Only the best bottom of all will fit on this potty." Of course everyone has to try it on for size! Uh-oh. Zebra's bottom is too big, Giraffe can't bend low enough to reach, and Gorilla, well, Gorilla mistakes it for a hat. Now who in the world belongs on this potty? Laugh-out-loud situations will ease potty-training tensions A perfect fit for multicultural collections

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a kind of "Sword in the Stone" for the toilet-training set, Freeman (illus. of Shanti) offers a tale of a potty that has appeared in the jungle with a note reading, "Only the best bottom of all will fit on this potty." A parade of posterior-proud animals tries to claim ownership, but their bottoms are far too big. The rightful owner? A small African child for even though his bottom lacks stripes or spots or fur, it is undeniably a perfect fit. "He hasss gone pee-pee in the potty!" announces Snake, and all the animals agree they are in the company of "the best bottom of all!" Consisting mostly of dialogue, the text is jaunty and jokey ("Bend your knees more, or you'll fall over!" Zebra tells the squatting Giraffe). The jewel-toned watercolor palette suggests the exotic beauty of the setting, while the compositions reflect a lively sense of play as animals frequently poke their heads through the illustrations' idiosyncratic frames. Kids will revel in the potty humor and in seeing so many amusing bottoms. Ages 1-3.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reschool--In the middle of the jungle, there sits a potty with a note beside it that reads: "Only the best bottom of all will fit on this potty." The zebra, giraffe, leopard, snake, elephant, gorilla, and tortoise all try it out and fail to fit properly. Then a small African child sits on it and amazes the animals. "`That's the best bottom of all!' shouts Tortoise." The bright watercolors of large, friendly animals will appeal to toddlers. While there are many potty books to choose from, this one doesn't lecture and it is funny. Each spread features an animal and three or four lines of text on one side and another creature posturing itself over the small receptacle on the other. For further reinforcement, and more "how to do it," try Alyssa Satin Capucilli's The Potty Book for Girls and The Potty Book for Boys (both Barron's, 2000), which take a more realistic approach to the topic. Harriet Ziefert's Sara's Potty and Max's Potty (both DK, 1999) are more informative (from a parent's point of view). But Potty!, in its cheerful simplicity, may make its impact and do the trick.
Janet M. Bair, Trumbull Library, CT
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Tricycle Press (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582460701
• ISBN-13: 978-1582460703
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,337,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My child's favorite "potty" book!, August 14, 2002

By 

"mkc-mkc" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Potty! (Hardcover)

The purpose of this "potty" book is to entertain your child. It does not get into anatomical detail or bathroom procedures. It starts with a potty in the middle of a jungle with a note that says "Only the best bottom of all will fit on this potty." The story continues with seven different animals (zebra, giraffe, leopard, snake, elephant, gorilla and tortoise) trying the potty with no luck. Finally, a child is sitting on the potty. The author ends by asking "Does your bottom fit on the potty?". My 2 year old always answers "YES!" and is very pleased that his bottom fits his own potty. Out of six different "potty" books we own this is always his first choice. Not only is the story entertaining, but the illustrations are also very appealling to my 2 year old with bold lines and wonderful colors.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining!, September 23, 2003

By 

Michelle "michellesays" (U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Potty! (Hardcover)

You're exploring the lush African jungle. You feel the humidity, hear the monkeys, touch the trees, see a'potty? Couldn't be! But it can ' and is ' as Zebra soon discovers.

The note reads: 'Only the best bottom of all will fit.' Zebra, Giraffe, Leopard, Snake, Gorilla, and Tortoise all try to fit and fail. The plot is predictable and the use of talking animals not original. But Potty! has global appeal. The book has been translated into several languages and even has its own puppet show (!?).

But international popularity doesn't mean a thing if the book is not a hit in my home'and it was! Mylo Freeman's text is comical (who WOULD have the guts to tell Leopard his bottom is too big?). Her vibrant watercolor illustrations capture the exotic essence of the tropics.

We have read almost every potty book available on the market as of 9/2003 (over two dozen!). Most fit into two categories: INSTRUCTIONAL books that introduce the skills needed to master the potty; and those that are primarily ENTERTAINING, for children who understand what is supposed to happen on the potty, but need extra time to make it happen.

I think Potty! fits more in the ENTERTAINING category. It's definitely a family favorite. Hunting for other potty books with animal shenanigans? Read Sara's Potty by Harriet Ziefert or Potty Time! By Guido Van Genechten.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining, December 1, 2007

By 

karen (Kissimmee, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Potty! (Hardcover)

My son loves this book. We borrowed it from the library, and I'm going to have to renew it ! He thinks it's very funny that the animals would try to sit on the potty, when they obviously can't fit.

I'm glad I was able to find it to purchase.