The Potty Book - For Girls Reviews

• A Good Introduction

  
  By A1HFKUE4IDNZZ6 on 2003-09-18
  Hannah can eat her breakfast, brush her teeth, and even dress all by herself. Her biggest hurdle? The potty! As with most potty training experiences (mine included), Hannah and her parents need plenty of patience...and paper towels!

  Reality check. I had two minor issues with the book: Hannah easily removes her diaper. My girls struggled to get theirs off (at least at first). And Hannah seems to graduate instantly from diapers to underwear after only one successful potty. In my house that meant instant mess!

  Otherwise, readers will chuckle over Alyssa Capucilli's delightful rhyme, rapped by Hannah herself, and Dorothy Stott's hilarious antics of Hannah's potty partner Teddy the bear.

  We have read almost every potty book available on the market as of 9/2003 (over two dozen!). Most fit into two categories: INSTRUCTIONAL books that introduce the skills needed to master the potty; and those that are primarily ENTERTAINING, for children who understand what is supposed to happen on the potty, but need extra time to make it happen.

  I think The Potty Book for Girls fits more in the INSTRUCTIONAL category for the following reasons:

  1) It identifies the purpose of the potty.
  2) It specifies bodily functions such as "poop" and "pee."
  3) Shows the transition from diapers to big kid underwear.
  4) Includes the hand washing step.

  For other potty books that are instructional, check out What to Expect When You Use the Potty by Heidi Murkoff, You Can Go to the Potty by Martha Sears, or My Big Girl Potty by Joanna Cole.
  
  

• Sweet and encouraging potty book for girls!

  
  By A25J0P4TPMSDM on 2000-08-01
  This is a sweet book about a little girl named Hannah who is ready to start using the potty. It shows the transition from diapers to "very special underwear". The book uses potty words like "pee and poop." Hannah has a few accidents, but Mom and Dad are still encouraging. By the end for the book, Hannah is very proud of herself and her potty success. She also will tell your little girl a secret, that she too can use a potty.

  The book itself is a hardback with very thick pages that will not tear easily. The illustrations are very attractive and definitely show how much energy Hannah has (as does every toddler or preschooler). The story line rhymes and is easy to follow. This book is perfect for any "big girl" who is interested in potties or parents who want her to be.

  My own Hannah really likes the book at 24 months old, but is not quite ready for the potty. I think it will help her to read and talk about it for now. When the time is right, she'll be ready for the potty, too!
  
  

• Potty-darn good

  
  By A2L03A61EET8KV on 2002-11-26
  A really cute potty book. My 2 1/2 year old loves this book, and can recite it word for word. The story of Hannah's transition from diapers to underwear is told in rhyme, using the potty words "pee" and "poop".

  This book helped to open a LOT of dialogue about using the potty, which is great. My daughter also likes to use the phrases from the book, "Whoops, I had an accident" and "that's OK". Unfortunately for me, we haven't moved from dialogue to action, (you'll notice she's not saying "Hurray I said, I did it!") but I guess there's a limit on how much to expect from one book!

  The illustrations are cute. My daughter enjoys looking at the pictures and discussing what Hannah, her parents and her teddy bear are doing.

  The quality of the book itself isn't quite as good. The pages are quite sturdy, somewhere between regular paper pages and board book pages, but the binding is already starting to split on our copy.

  All in all, though, a fun book for a frustrating process.
  
  

• Very helpful book!

  
  By A1EJ2INZX3SAGW on 2001-08-10
  Our daughter loves this book and asks to read it over and over (on the potty or off it). She now wakes up in the morning and wants to use the potty "like Hannie" (Hannah)from the book does. Some of the other potty books we have read leave out some of the steps you need to take when you use the potty, or don't mention things like having accidents. This book is very thorough, positive, and cute too. We highly recommend it!
  
  

• Great book - we'll see if it helps!

  
  By A1ADNRCTU87VXY on 2002-01-03
  Of all the potty books I've seen (and with a 26 month old, I feel like I've seen them all), this is the one that fits all my (1st time Mom) requirements. It is cheerful, positive, rhymes, uses our family's potty language, and I don't mind reading it over and over. My daughter loves the teddy bear and the Mommy and Daddy. She also noticed the little girl having an "accident" and wet pants right away, and I think relates them to herself in a good way. I also try to use the same wording as the book - "don't you give up yet" to reinforce that this is HER process and accomplishment.
  I would also recommend "What do you do with a potty?" which has lots of "lift-the-flaps" to keep my daughter's interest, although the story isn't as good.
  I also had not seen this book anywhere but Amazon.com.
  
  
• Our FAVORITE book
  By A1RKFW5PTODZSZ on 2001-03-03
  My daughter Brianna is 22 months old. She's had a potty in her bathroom for awhile, but she showed no interest in it. I bought this book for her about a month ago and she can't put it down. I actually had to leave it in her crib at night because she wants to read it to herself before she goes to bed, and looks for it first thing in the morning when she wakes up. All day long I hear "Hannah book!!" She loves to read it herself, and always applaudes Hannah at the end - "Yay Hannah... Yay Hannah. No diaper!" Now she's always asking to sit on her potty; especially when she reads the book!! Thank you Hannah!!
  
  
• Poor grammar, awkward cadence, but daughter seems to like it
  By A26G6WVXL62V5W on 2004-10-26
  On the advice from other reviewers, I bought this book to read to my daughter while potty training her. The illustrations are cute, and it runs through the basic potty-training topics (making mistakes, leaving behind diaper, getting excited about underwear). My daughter seems to like it, and is now at the point that she "reads" the book to herself while she's sitting on the potty alone, so I suppose from that standpoint, the book worked.
  
  However, I have two main problems with the book which make me not recommend it highly. First, the cadence of the phrasing is awkward. It starts out okay, but then you feel like you're off a beat. I've tried adding/deleting small words to make it more "comfortable" to read out loud, but it doesn't work that well. Second, it uses poor grammar, which is inexcusable at a time when kids are trying their hardest to pick up grammar rules. It says " just march off to the potty like me and Teddy do". It's not even done to ensure it rhymes.
  
  I suppose if you really don't care about grammar or cadence, then this book is fine, but if these things bug you, buy another potty book.
  
  
• A Must-Have!
  By A2MKNTJOROAMW7 on 2002-03-13
  If you're looking for a potty book, this is the one! It's the only one I actually enjoyed reading as a parent, and my daughter loved it. Although she's been potty trained for 5 months now, she still asks to read this book. This will be in my gift basket to friends as their children near potty training.
  
  
• Potty Training
  By on 2002-12-12
  I have found this book to be cute, having very good illustrations. I would suggest this book to any parents that are going through the frustrations of potty training. It shows plenty of pictures and it really has the ability to make a child want to feel more grown up and graduate from diapers. It gives them the push they need and shows that when they get used to using this big girl potty, they will be very proud of themselves and say, "I'm off to the potty. No more diapers for me! And I feel great. I am proud of...ME!" Plus it tells the girls that read this, "Want to know a secret? You can do it too! Just march off to the potty like me and Teddy do." My aunt also has this book and she uses it with her first child and she says that it helps very much so because it encourages her daughter to become a big girl and use the potty. I've read this book to her also and when I read it to her she was watching and listening intently. Watching as I turned the page so she could see the next picture. Afterwards, she got up and she said, "I'm a big girl!" Her mom and I both started laughing. But I think the cute way it rhymes and illustrates so well also helps keeping the child entertained.
  
  
• Helpful
  By AZK9CCTYQNRNL on 2002-03-18
  My daughter at 2.5 years old is struggling with the whole potty thing. I discovered this book last month after a few unsuccessful tries at getting potty training started. We have been reading it to her every night. Although I actually haven't got a result in our potty yet I think that this book is giving her a great understanding of what going to the potty is all about, not to be scared of accidents (that they happen and it's ok) and she is using all the right words now. It's a cute story with positive reinforcement and one that I don't mind reading over and over again. I'm sure success for us will be just around the corner.
  
  
• Mary is potty trained now!
  By on 2003-07-21
  My 2 and a half year old was very resistant to the whole idea of using the potty. She's a smart little girl, but the potty was a problem. I bought this book, read it to her a few times, and the next thing I know she's reciting the book from memory and using the potty exclusively for all her poop and pee! There's no such thing as a magic potion for potty training, but this came darned close. It is a very upbeat and cute book, with special emphasis on the pride a child will have once they choose to use the potty. The lead character, Hannah, is a great role model - she is enthusiastic about using the potty and celebrates her successes. When she has an "accident," her mom and dad say, "that's OK Hannah - don't you give up yet!" I found myself saying the same thing to my daughter when she would have an accident, and it worked wonders to soothe her bruised ego. I would recommend this book to anyone as a part of their potty training plan. If I had to do it over again, I would have started reading it to her a lot sooner, but better late than never. She is 100% potty trained now, and she still asks me to read this book to her all the time.
  
  
• WE LOVED THIS BOOK
  By A3RPNLEYTSU6V8 on 2000-08-29
  MY VERY OWN HANNAH LIKED HEARING ABOUT ANOTHER HANNAH'S POTTYING EXPERIENCE. THIS BOOK IS CHARMING AND MY DAUGHTER LOVES IT. WE HAVE A LOT OF POTTY BOOKS, BUT THIS ONE IS BY FAR HER FAVORITE. THE BOOK ALSO LETS LITTLE GIRLS KNOW THAT ACCIDENTS ARE OKAY AND EVENTUALLY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO POTTY ALL OF THE TIME.
  
  
• Practically the sole reason my daughter potty-trained!
  By A1D4J7D91LSXZ4 on 2005-03-11
  I bought this book on a whim as we started the PT-process, mainly because it was cheap. Little could I have known it would be the leading help in my daughter getting the idea! She loved the book, loved that Hannah was independent with some things and learning some things (just like her), and sometimes had accidents while learning, also just like her. We read it so many times my daughter memorized it, and even though she's been potty-trained for nearly a year now, it's still one of her favorites!
  
  
• Potty Pooper
  By A2CIFNR7BWWLN3 on 2005-09-29
  I ordered this book from Amazon based on other reviews, but I must say that I found it lacking and had to buy another to supplement. Unlike some other potty books, this one doesn't cover wiping with toilet paper, washing your hands or flushing. I also prefer books that offer a chart for sticker rewards. In the books favor, it rhymes, I do like that it suggests the potty be given as a "present", and that the little girl gets to pick out her own underwear once she is ready, but I find the omissions too great to give the book a higher rating. Good luck potty training!
  
  
• My Daughter LOVED this book
  By A27QBFLGAYAL5O on 2005-03-25
  I didn't totally understand why, but the week she made the transition, she asked us to read this book so many times - it wore us out (thankfully her grandma came in town and obliged her). But, she talked about getting hot pink panties like hannah... I guess it really is perfect for little girls and talks about the topic without it being "in your face" so to speak... It definitely worked for us!
  
  
• A bit too long
  By A9EVBE6MJ4YX4 on 2004-10-05
  I purchased this book & another book (Too Big for Diapers (Ernie of seasame Street). This book was just too long of a story for my just turned two year old girl. She just wasn't interested in hearing the story, thus the book is like new on the shelf. But the Too Big for Diapers book was a big hit--she likes Ernie so that was the first thing. The story is short & too the point and the pictures of Ernie are big & bright. But this book is a long story & pastel pictures of a little girl. Maybe she'll get into later, but so far the potty training goes on without this book.
  
  
• Great first step
  By A2OKPM15M9XNJC on 2004-12-13
  When we began potty training my daughter, we got this book. While it didn't get her fully trained, it was helpful in explaining the process to her in a way she could understand. With the assistance of a doll that wets, we were able to get her fully potty-trained in no time. She nows shows the book to her baby dolls to help them learn how to go too.
  
  
• BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU INTRODUCE THIS
  By A1JKQ6VR5UPH00 on 2007-07-09
  Our 2 year old was quite comfortable using the potty to pee. When a friend recommended this book to us and in order to move to the next stage we bought it. Error on our part. Our daughter who had never had "an accident" and knew that she needed to pee in the toilet said that it was okay to pee on the floor as Hannah did.
  
  We now skip that page but have to say sadly that we believe this book has pushed us backwards.
  
  If your child is already using the toilet occasionally then this book might not be the one for you.
  
  
• My daughter loves this book.
  By A3Q0Q4YEHNS2FR on 2003-09-11
  My daughter is 22 months old and is interested in potty training. This is her new favorite book. What I like about it is that it is clean... no pictures of anatomy like in Once upon a Potty. That's a little much for a toddler in my opinion. What is great about the book is that it lets children know that potty accidents are OK and that they should just keep trying!
  
  
• Little girls must have this book
  By on 2005-10-31
  I received this book when I was two years old. I already have many of the pages memorized and I walk around the house saying "Bye-bye pee. Bye-bye poop." My family thinks I am hilarious. This book is really raising my awareness of what a potty chair is for. I have been practicing pulling my pants down and up since I started reading this book. It is good to read anytime not just when you're on the potty.
  
  
• Great Book
  By A30UA6CMYMS9Q8 on 2003-01-13
  Since my 18 mo old daughter was showing so much interest in the potty, I bought this book (along w/ 2 others) for her to 'read' or for me to read to her while we worked on potty training and to famiarlize her with the concept, words, etc. She LOVES this book. It's very colorful, the pages are sturdy(not flimsy like regular paper that is easily torn by small fingers and not as clumsy as a board book) and it has such a cute little story line told in verse that makes it easy for little ones to follow and not get as easily bored. My daughter even sings when she reaches the page where Hannah sings while on the potty!
  
  
• Rhymes to remember...
  By A5H7H4ES2CTLL on 2003-09-07
  After searching through endless potty books, I chose this one. It does not show the anatomy too graphically, but gets the point across. My 2 yr old finds the rhymes of this book easy to remember, finishing the sentences as I read. I also like that when Hannah has an accident her parents supportively tell her, "That's okay, Hannah. Don't you give up yet!" Once she has a success on the potty, Hannah feels proud of herself and her parents encourage her to share the good news with her grandparents. We read this book while my daughter is on the potty which keeps her sitting for at least 5 minutes and keeps her focus on trying to "pee"" and "poop". Then, when my daughter has a success, I let her make her good news phone call to someone special in her life, too. This book is a great tool for positive-reinforcement potty training.
  
  
• success
  By on 2004-05-11
  Before my daughter got into the bathtub every morning, i put her on her little potty and read her this book. At times, we would read it twice -- she loved it! (i replaced Hannah's name with her own). After 2 weeks of patiently reading it and going thru our ritual, the light finally went on and she knew what needed to be done -- pee pee! promptly, we laughed and clapped, just as Hannah does in the book. we had a 20 minute celebration and she kept looking inside the potty proudly. i give full credit to this book for helping my daughter understand the potty concept more easily. yay!
  
  
• Don't bother if you already have the boy version
  By A3CFICZJJMNH5X on 2006-03-20
  The story is almost identical to the Potty Book for Boys and I'm sorry I wasted the money on this. It would have been nice if they could have a different story and different pictures. If this was the 1st potty training book I bought for a child I would say it's good.
  
  
• The perfect potty book
  By A21FYFGPCBUOI4 on 2006-03-30
  I can't say enough about this book. It's ingenious because toddlers can identify with the character completely. My two-year-old loves "Hannah" and especially the line, "That's ok Hannah" (the character who has an accident). The part about calling Grandma with the news of success is a very effective motivator. I would highly recommend this book.
  
  
• pretty much potty trained my daughter for me!
  By A1O9TQSCKSLG9J on 2006-04-11
  I love this book and recommend it to anyone with a daughter! My daughter fell in love with it immediately and wanted us to read it to her over and over again. She had it memorized in about a week. I thought, well if she loves it this much, maybe I should get her a potty. She was only 17m, but I got one and she was immediately sitting on it. I thought, well what the heck, I'll take her pants down. And she went potty! It has been a little hit or miss, and at 22m we are working on consistency and getting rid of the diaper entirely! She still loves this book and we read it all the time!
  Thank you so much for writing such an easy read that really little ones can relate to!
  
  
• Good but not the best
  By A1WNB9H96JDRBL on 2006-04-18
  This book really speaks to toddlers (or at least my toddler) but I don't think it is the best book on toilet training. The pictures are cute and the story touches on all the main points you would expect. My only problem, and this is from an adult's point of view as I don't think a toddler would care, is that the rhyme and rhythm are a bit contrived and not very good. It really bothered me when the end of the book had the word "me" rhyming with "me". Yeah... the same word. Also, the phrase, "me and Teddy" is used instead of "Teddy and I". Is it worth it? Yes, your toddler will more than likely love it and it may even help with the training. Thus 4 stars -1 for grammar.
  
  
• Enthusiastic about it!
  By AF05GMO8LQEP on 2006-09-20
  This was the best book I found to help get my daughter interested in the potty. She loved the rhyming patterns, and I loved that the book showed "Hannah" making mistakes but not giving up. It was very positive and helpful in portraying a little girl wanting to get out of diapers without criticizing. I loved this book!
  
  
• The Potty Book - For Girls
  By A1HY5T7IB18CXE on 2002-12-02
  This book is very informative and a must for girls in their toilet training years. We found it to be helpful and instructive. It would certainly help a beginner. It takes the task of toilet training and turns it into fun and accomplishment. It would certainly help the little one to understand what is being accomplished. It removes fear from the process and turns it into fun.
  
  
• Corny but effective
  By A2WD3FS7KNDBKU on 2003-03-03
  I bought this book after returning home from a business trip to learn that my 2 1/2 year old daughter had regressed in her potty training desire! So far, the book is very effective. We read it once a day and she listens actively. We talk about the little protagonist, Hannah, and what she's doing as she learns about the potty. I'm so glad that there are books out there for little kids, because the understanding that my daughter is gaining by reading this book seems to be working. It seems that presenting potty training in an intellectual (as opposed to simply behavioral) manner is helping with our toddler.
  
  

• A Potty for Me!: A Lift-the-Flap Instruction Manual
• Big Girls Use the Potty!
• Too Big for Diapers (Too Big Board Books)
• My Big Girl Potty
• My Potty Reward Stickers for Girls: 126 Girl Potty Training Stickers and Chart to Motivate Toilet Training