5 Potty Training Books for Kids

As a parent, one of the biggest challenges you will face in the early years of your child’s growing up is potty training. If you even mention the word to seasoned veterans of parenthood, you are likely to get a cringe as a response, if not flat out hand-flapping, inconsolable crying and lunacy. As a new parent starting out, it’s hard to imagine something worse than diapers, spontaneous blowouts in the grocery store, or what comes out looking almost exactly like what you just tried to put in a few hours before. But as your kid gets older and they squat down in the middle of the store and make that face, you know things are going to be awful and messy. How else can it go with a miniature person who is no longer a cooing or crying infant, but someone big enough to name at least half a dozen dinosaurs.

Transitioning can be difficult for both of you. The schools years are coming on faster than you thought and even though the temptation might be great to just find bigger diapers for your child, it is actually going to be okay. Not to mention cheaper once they figure out this life skill that they will use longer than nearly anything else you can teach them.

One of the best ways to get started on figuring out potty training is not only educating yourself, but them at the same time. Toddlers love when their parents read to them. It’s a moment for you both to bond, and the stories often keep them sitting still a lot longer than most other things. Which is exactly where you need them to be!

Here is a list of potty training books that will help you both out, not to mention preserve your sanity.

Everyone Poops (My Body Science Series)

by Taro Gomi

This is a long-time classic, loved by kids for the irreverent subject material and approach to it and appreciated by adults everywhere who used this book to teach their kids the basics. It breaks down the process of eating and pooping in a fun way your kids (and maybe you) will love! This book may be out of print, but is still worth the read since it was the first of its kind.

Potty (Leslie Patricelli board books)

by Leslie Patricelli

A funny story that little ones can relate to! Delightful illustrations and a sense of humor will resonate with the inner monologue of Baby who is just starting out with this whole process. Your kids will love the beautiful illustrations and probably beg you to read this book whenever it is time to go.

P is for Potty! (Sesame Street) (Lift-the-Flap)

by Naomi Kleinberg

Little kids love Elmo! And in this board book, aimed at kids ages 1-3, Elmo becomes their guide to demystifying the potty and showing that it’s fun to learn, and poop at the same time! Since it is a board book, it will encourage kids to sit still and use the 30 flaps to open and follow the story time and time again. Read it in your best Elmo voice for even more fun!

Potty Superhero: Get ready for big boy pants! (Potty Book)

by Paragon Books

It is often said that boys are harder to potty train than girls, so what better way to give your son a character he can identify with than the story of a little boy’s quest to earning his big-boy undies? If it’s as difficult as your friends tell you, it can’t hurt to have a familiar face on your side through this epic struggle!

Potty Train Your Dragon: How to Potty Train Your Dragon Who Is Scared to Poop. A Cute Children Story on How to Make Potty Training Fun and Easy. (My Dragon Books) (Volume 1)

by Steve Herman

One of the obstacles to potty training your kids is the fear of the whole process. There is a lot to figure out! It’s a new stepping stone in their life, and sometimes the best way to learn something is to teach someone else, which is what the main character does in the My Dragon series. This time around, it is the dragon’s turn to learn how to poop in the potty!