Next book

HOW TO PEE

POTTY TRAINING FOR BOYS

The lesson is clear: Pee with flair.

Sure, potty training is important, but how many books emphasize how to urinate with style?

Family practitioner Spector explains that he and his wife potty trained their son using the “free style” method. Translation: Costumes optional. Moved to inspire others, he offers this minihandbook highlighting 10 different styles from which a boy can draw inspiration. There’s “Rocket Style,” which involves a countdown to “blast off”; “Superhero Style,” in which the valiant urinater defeats a villainous square of toilet paper with proper aim; and “Firefighter Style,” in which the stream is put to good use extinguishing an imaginary potty fire. For all these and more, wardrobe changes and props are encouraged. Naturally some styles are stronger than others. “Magic Style” makes perfect sense, while “Mommy Style” (in which the child presumably imitates his mother and complains that the toilet seat is up) is just a cheap joke. Parents who would rather their kids not pee outside may wish to avoid “Free Style” and “Waterfall Style,” both of which turn the great outdoors into a boy’s personal lavatory. Illustrator Chung treats the material with suitable razzle dazzle, imbuing his hero with the heart and soul of a performer while never showing a single penis. A note to parents and a list of basic potty-training rules at the end make this a touchstone for the anxious.

The lesson is clear: Pee with flair. (Picture book. 2-4)

Pub Date: April 14, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-8050-9773-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015

Next book

BYE-BYE BINKY

From the Big Kid Power series

Simple words and big concepts will make this a godsend to parents at their wit's end.

This book seeks to use the power of persuasion to vanquish that most formidable of opponents: toddlers.

In this entry in the Big Kid Power series, a little black girl makes no bones about the fact that pacifiers (or “binkies”) are strictly baby territory. When she was little she needed one, but that was then. Whether she’s tired, sad, or hungry, there are other ways of being comforted: hugs and polite requests, for instance. After she gives her binky to a baby and bids it a very clear goodbye, the book ends with a triumphant, “I’M A BIG KID!” Using a striking color combination of orange, brown, and black, van Lieshout keeps her pages bold and bright, complementing the simple vocabulary. Such declarations as, “Do I still have a binky? // NO, BIG KIDS DON’T NEED A BINKY. / NOPE!” leave scant wiggle room for argument. In her author’s note at the end, van Lieshout says that after speaking to many parents about how they helped their kids bid their pacifiers adieu, “many of them had in common…a ritual of some sort.” The ritual here seems to be giving the pacifier away, though it may be missed by many readers. Companion title I Use the Potty uses a similar approach, with a proud, white boy as its guide.

Simple words and big concepts will make this a godsend to parents at their wit's end. (Picture book. 2-4)

Pub Date: March 8, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4521-3536-6

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016

Next book

PLAY WITH YOUR PLATE!

From the Mix-and-Match Book series

Playing with your food is allowed (and encouraged!) here.

An interactive concept book relating to food, colors, and shapes for the preschool set.

When children open the book they will find four small books arranged as a square. The two on the left open to the left, the two on the right open to the right. When all four books are open it looks like a place setting, with a plate full of food. The books have illustrations of food with different shapes: circles (slices of kiwi, a bowl of guacamole) and triangles (a pizza slice, a watermelon wedge); different colors: red (kidney beans, red miso soup, tomatoes), yellow (corn bread, a taco, pineapple), green (peas, lettuce, edamame); and food types: fruits, vegetables, sushi, pizza, pasta. The book suggests some plate arrangements children can make: “Can you make a plate of only triangles or circles?” “Can you make a plate of only vegetables or fruits?” or “Can you make a plate of your favorite foods?” But the possibilities are many, and readers can come up with their own combinations—including matching the plate edges or the accompanying flatware. Adults can also use the book as a springboard for a playful conversation on food and nutrition.

Playing with your food is allowed (and encouraged!) here. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: April 14, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-4197-3907-1

Page Count: 18

Publisher: Abrams Appleseed

Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020

Close Quickview