I Go Potty!

Of the three potty training books I've read to date, this one is the biggest stinker. 

THREE PROS

*Takes a more casual approach to the process, foregoing any sort of advice in place of a virtual list of things for your child to do while waiting out his or her bowels   

*It's got a happy, no-pressure vibe to it
*Ends with a good hand-washing

THREE CONS 

*I'm not sold that this approach to potty training would ever really accomplish anything substantial (it might help your kid's psyche a little, but so would a good pep talk from mom or dad) 
*Doesn't even attempt to deal with the eventuality that the peeing and pooing might not happen 

*I totally just thought about where this book has been between the time it first arrived at the library and the very moment it touched my hands

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Publishers who take a dip in the murky waters of potty training have to know by now that the story takes a backseat to the service they are providing.  Quite simply, parents expect more from these titles than any other category I can think of off the top of my head.  We want something that solves the problem; if it does anything more than that, well, then that's a bonus.  In my opinion, I Go Potty! does not come close.  It's a sweet attempt, but, if you're really trying to transition from plastic to porcelain, you're looking for a book that gets down and dirty. 

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

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

Pete's Potty

It only seemed natural to follow up my review of a butt book with one about potty training... 

THREE PROS

*The flaps help take the focus off of the task at hand  

*Doesn't feel the need to inundate you with poop smears or extreme closeups of the inside of the toilet
*Works in the concept of hand washing being an integral part of the process

THREE CONS 

*Playing potty hide-and-seek makes it more fun and emphasizes (in a roundabout way) where the apparatus should be, but I was left wondering if this style was really the best way to attack the issue 
*Not being a toilet training expert myself, I can only guess that there might be a better way of separating out peeing and pooping to make it easier for kids to wrap their heads around early on 

*Either Pete's pants are magical or the illustrator forgot to include them on the page where he gets down to business

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Rating any book in this category will never be an exact science, since the ultimate goal probably won't be achieved from a single reading.  Thus, the only thing I can really do is to tell you whether I think the approach is sound and whether it will get on your nerves.  In this case, the answers are a definitive yes and no, respectively.  That said, it lacks any sort of true originality; consequently, there's nothing really memorable about Pete's Potty.  So where does that leave us?  In my opinion, it's a perfect Borrow, with an option to Buy if you know someone personally who can prove it helped lower diaper costs.  [Since my boy isn't there yet, I'm not that guy.]    

Buy / BORROW / Donate / Destroy