One of the hardest things that I have done as a parent is to potty train my youngest son. I should know, we are almost ready to say he is officially potty trained after the adventure began last Wednesday. That same night, when we were starting the process, I took out a book to read with the boys. The book was Potty Animals by Hope Vestergaard. I figured a little lesson learning about potty etiquette would be fitting given what we would be doing over the next few days. This is another of the books that I had received from Sterling Children’s Books.

Rather than explain what the book is about in my own words, I think Hope Vestergaard and illustrator Valeria Petrone did a fabulous job with their Book Trailer for Potty Animals. Make sure your volume is turned up and get ready for a lesson in What to Know When You’ve Gotta Go!

While the little guy was off playing between reminders to head to the potty, NHL read Potty Animals to me. As an almost seven-year old, he is pretty good with his potty etiquette. He laughed at the scenarios and we talked about why these things are important for little kids to learn, especially once they go to school. We both liked when we read about Arnold and his troubles being accurate with his aim in the bathroom and reminder to lift the seat. There really was something profound about seeing Wilbur, Wilma, Freddie and friends make the wrong choices and then get reminded about things. Of course, as the girl in the family I secretly wished there was a reminder to put the seat back DOWN when finished. You can see NHL reading the story to me here.

A little while later, we were trying to calm JSL down. He was upset about using the potty and did not want to bother. I sat next to his little Winnie the Pooh potty and read him Potty Animals. He laughed at the reminders at the end of each section. I was not sure if he really understood some of the items. He will be going to nursery school in September and I think at that time it will be more relevant to him. Still, a day or two later when he was using the potty, he reminded me several times of the items we had read about in the book. He told me he had to wipe each time, to close the door when he was using the big potty, and not to forget to flush. Even at three, the fun rhyming verses with colorful characters on each page had made an impact.

More about the book from Sterling:

Meet Wilbur, who won’t wash his hands after going potty. Wilma, who waits too long…and sometimes doesn’t make it in time.  And Freddie, who’s afraid to flush. These are just a few of the preschool animals who need a little help with their bathroom etiquette!   With wit and good humor, Hope Vestergaard presents a unique “toilet basics” guide for toddlers.  It covers everything from lifting the seat and closing the door to planning ahead when you’re on a trip.  All told in cheerful rhyme, with hilarious illustrations, it’s a fun way to handle a serious subject.  PLAN AHEAD!     DON’T WAIT TOO LONG!    GO POTTY BEFORE YOU SLEEP!     EXCUSE YOURSELF!     KNOCK FIRST!     BE SURE TO LIFT UP THE SEAT!     CLOSE THE DOOR!     DON’T LOLLYGAG!     NEVER FORGET TO WIPE!     WASH YOUR HANDS!     ZIP AND FLUSH!     ALWAYS TURN OUT THE LIGHT!

Sterling Children’s Books sat down with author, former preschool teacher and toilet training expert, Hope Vertgergaard, who gives us the bottom line (ha ha!) on her unique and lighthearted guide to bathroom manners and some useful tips for parents and kids. Read the Q&A

And download a free copy of the Potty Animals Bathroom Poster: it’s the perfect way to remind everyone about the “dos and don’ts” of bathroom behavior. 

Potty Animals (Sterling Children’s Books; On Sale March 2010; $14.95; Ages 4+; ISBN: 1-4027-5996-7

We enjoyed Potty Animals and will be reading it again with JSL as we continue on our potty using adventure. I will also be asking JSL’s teachers if they would like to borrow it. I imagine it would be a great addition to read aloud to the children in the first few weeks of nursery school (and even into 1st grade) where many of the kids will be new to the social etiquette involved in potty time at school. There are even some adults that may benefit from some of the gentle bathrooms manners reminders within the book. As a teacher, I could tell you stories involving the bathrooms in kindergarten and first grade classrooms that would scare you!

Giveaway:

Thanks to Sterling Children’s Books, FIVE lucky readers will each win a coupon for a copy of Potty Animals and a bottle of "Potty Animals Hand Sanizer" to go with it.

Rules for Giveaway:

• MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: What was your favorite part of the Book Trailer for Potty Animals?
  

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

• 1 Bonus Entry –  Who will this book be for and why is it perfect for them?
  
• 1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Potty Animals Book Giveaway in the Tweet.  Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Tuesday Tales from @TheAngelforever is all about Potty Animals. The best part, 5 will #win the book in #giveaway http://bit.ly/c5tcA2
• 1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
• 1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of June/July (Be sure to check out my other Tuesday Tales posts). Leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
• 3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
• 5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today July 27 and ends at 10:59 EST on August 13 , 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. and Canada residents only. 

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Publishing in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. Sterling Children’s Books are also providing the giveawsay items to my readers.