My Big Boy Potty

A pipe burst in my mother-in-law's building yesterday, resulting in many hours without water.  Never before has a 17" tall toilet looked so appealing :) 

THREE PROS

*Doesn't stop with the first successful "transaction" but goes well into the future to cover other potential hiccups (like wearing diapers during sleep times)  

*One especially important pitfall, the wetting of pants, is covered in enough depth that I trust it will take some of the sting off of this eventual embarrassment
*Given the situation I experienced yesterday, I must give a nod to the description of the role of pipes in the process

THREE CONS 

*How dare the author insist that a boy is most likely ready to be completely potty-trained before 2.5 years old (maybe this is true in parts of the world but I can tell you that no boy on my street was ready by this age) -- all this does is cause parents to feel like their kids are not developing at the proper rate 
*Little kid underpants are disturbing in most any context, but placing them on a bunch of stuffed animals is extra creepy 

*Unless Michael's parents are religious about scrubbing the potty after each use, the poor blue teddy bear gets a double dose of gross when it is placed upon the throne

ONE DAD'S OPINION
This is only the second book I have reviewed in this genre, but I'm starting to think that it will take something special for any book of its kind to earn a Buy.  While I appreciate Joanna Cole's effort, I don't believe it's got the goods to float to the top of the tank.  Give it a swirl and see if it moves you, just know that it might not give you the relief that you seek...    

Buy / BORROW / Donate / Destroy