These potty books for toddlers will help your little one with their potty training.
With hundreds if not thousands of potty books available on the market it’s really hard to choose. Especially when it comes to picking your toddler’s very first potty book.
Just like with all those battery powered toys with light, bells and whistles it’s full of potty books that were made to sell.
But potty books have a very special purpose (to help your child transition from diapers to potty) so it’s even important to choose them wisely.
Here are the criteria for potty book selection that I have in mind when choose potty books for my little one and that guided my selection of potty training books down below.
- The book has to be relatable. Fantasy stories are great, but let’s save them for a little bit later. Toddlers need to hear and see scenes from real life that are part or soon will be part of their day.
- Scenes in the book have to be imitatable. It’s definitely fun to read about a “potty train” but it’s actually making it harder for little kids to follow. They need simple concepts that they can easily and instantly copy. After all, the goal of potty training book is exactly that – get them to do what they do in the book. Monkey see – monkey do 🙂
- Give preference to books with real life photographs, especially for younger toddlers. Again, they have huge success among toddlers for the two reasons mentioned above.
- Older toddlers will love and put to a good use potty books with a longer storyline or flaps or some curious facts that they are already able to understand. These kind of books will help them concentrate and sit – try sit – on the potty for longer.
- Language used in the book. It might be in English but a lot of books have both American English and British English. It doesn’t really make a huge difference to them (until they can read themselves), but might be important to you. Depending on the book version everyday things will have different names – loo or toilet, wee or pee, poo or poop. Where possible I’ve included both versions of the book.
- Last but not least, no need to buy all potty books on the list. Start with just one or two simple books, see how your child reacts. When adding a new potty book add one with a different perspective or a longer story line.
I also think it’s beneficial, especially for younger toddlers to have a gender specific potty training book – you can easily make it about THEM.
You’ll also find a few gender neutral books on this list. They are perfect to families with more than one just kiddo undergoing the same process. I’ve also included a couple of “general knowledge books” where gender is not really of primary importance as their purpose is mostly on revealing new concepts and facts on the topic. A great example of such book is from the Usborne series “My First Questions & Answers” – What is Poop?
Potty by Leslie Patricelli (American English)
On My Potty by Leslie Patricelli (British English)
This is probably the top bestselling book in the category. For all good reasons.
This book is very simple, with minimal but cute illustrations, filled with humor but mostly important it tells a story every child in early potty training days can relate too.
It also encourages reasoning and acknowledges child’s feelings.
For example the main character says: “I can go in my diaper. But should I? Should I go in my potty?”
Highly recommended.
Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi
This is another book that has become a classic of potty training books. Simple, bold illustrations show various animals, adults, kids, babies and how they poop. It’s a must have for anyone who has a child who won’t poop in the potty/toilet.
Potty Training Books For Boys
Boys’ Potty Time by DK (with Reward Stickers)
This is a greatl first book for anyone’s looking to introduce potty and start potty training with your little boy. The front cover consists of two pages, one being in a form of toilet seat with truck designs. This is such a unique and fun component of the book. On the inside you’ll find photographs of real boy sitting on the potty, washing hands and even having an accident (peeing in their pants). Plus there are other elements of potty time like toilet paper, wipes, underwear and at the end, big toilet with a child seat as the final step in this progression.
Your little boy will be obsessed with this potty book!
The only thing we haven’t really used are the stickers. Meaning, we DID use them but just for fun and not as a reward during the potty training. But that’s a personal choice.
The Potty Book: For Boys by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Another adorable potty book with beautiful water color illustrations.
But here are a few things that make this book stand out. Depending on your vision of potty training you will love it or hate.
This book is pretty long (32 pages) – great read especially when your little one needs to sit and wait for “the big job”.
The book narrates about the journey of a little boy Henry (can be replaced with your son’s name) transitioning from diapers to potty. It talkies about the process in details with illustrations. This might be too overwhelming for young toddlers (<18 months) but it’s certainly and advantage for everyone close and past to 2 years.
Caillou: Potty Time by Joceline Sanschagrin
Simple story of a boy who’s just starting to use his potty. Very relatable to young kids plus they might already be familiar with the main character from the famous cartoon.
Bloop Bloop Goes The Poop by Temara Moore
Another wonderful book that depicts in details a scene where a little boy uses the toilet on his own. There are 2 special things about this book:
- The main character is a boy with dark skin and dark eyes that you wouldn’t come across that often.
- It’s full of “sounds effects” which make reading fun.
What Is Poop? By Katie Daynes (American English)
What Is Poo? By Katie Daynes (Brittish English)
Funny, fun, educational lift-the-flap-book – what else can you wish for?
It’s not really a potty training book but rather an extension for the topic. It talks in detail what poop actually is, where it goes and how it can be used. So there’s not just entertainment but some serious learning opportunities (including adults! – Did you know whales have pink poo because of their diet of krill??).
Great book not necessary about potty training but it’s awesome for little curious toddlers. It’s a lift-the-flap book and you have to lift the flaps and find where each animal poops. It’s also fact based. At the very end there’s a poop in the potty.
