This is really a comparison review for "The Potty Book" vs "Potty" by Leslie Patricelli (since I read lots of reviews and ended up just ordering both).
This book is fine, and I can see why it appeals to some families., but I'm not a fan. I think it's probably better for older kids with more grasp of language who just need to see more of the process while learning.
The "plot" is overly complicated. There's a lot about what the new present could be, having accidents (because for some reason this potty-training child's parent are not letting him wear a pull up diaper), calling grandma, how his diaper fits well etc. I end up just skipping a bunch of pages because my 18 month doesn't need all that.
And despite all that, it's really ambiguous as to what's actually happening. He is just excited about his potty after looking at it.
It also bothers me that the rhyming doesn't quite flow. Rhymes for kids are a great learning tool, but the writing feels forced and disjointed and doesn't get into a smooth rhythm.
So how is it different from its competitor "Potty"? "Potty" is better for younger kids. The character is a non-gendered baby rather than an older kid. There are very few words, so my son and I just talk and laugh about what's going on in each page. We have pets, so seeing what cat and dog do differently is actually pretty helpful. And he gets really excited with the "tinkle, tinkle, toot" sound effects. Basically, he thinks "The Potty Book" is a nice story like lots of his stories, but when we're done reading "Potty", he often drags me off to the bathroom to try his potty as part of the game.
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