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Best Potty Training Books for Toddlers: What Actually Helps

Why Books Are One of the Best Potty Training Tools

Before you put a single pair of training pants on your toddler, one of the most effective things you can do is read potty training books together. Not to teach them the mechanics of using the toilet — children pick that up quickly enough in practice — but to normalise the whole idea before it becomes a real expectation.

A well-chosen potty training book does several things at once: it introduces the concept in a safe, low-pressure way; it gives you a shared language and vocabulary for talking about the process; it answers the questions children often have but cannot articulate; and for many children, it builds a genuine enthusiasm and curiosity about using the potty that makes the real training go much more smoothly.

Here are the books I recommend — both for children and for parents.

parent reading colourful children's book with toddler at home

Reading together about the potty before training starts builds readiness and reduces anxiety.

Best Potty Training Books for Children

1. Potty by Leslie Patricelli

Best for: Ages 12–24 months — the earliest introduction to the potty concept

If I could recommend only one potty training book for very young toddlers, this would be it. Leslie Patricelli's simple, cheerful board book features a baby working out what the potty is for, with minimal text and warm, funny illustrations that children aged 1–2 absolutely love.

The genius of this book is in its simplicity. It does not overwhelm with explanation — it just presents the potty as a normal, interesting part of growing up. Children who have been read this book repeatedly often start showing interest in the real potty before you have even decided to start training.

Find Potty by Leslie Patricelli on Amazon

2. Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel

Best for: Ages 18 months–3 years — explains the process clearly and warmly

Once Upon a Potty has been a potty training classic since the 1970s and it remains one of the best because it actually explains what the potty is for with gentle directness. Available in a "him" and "her" version, it follows a child learning to use the potty with encouragement from their parent.

The anatomically correct illustrations were considered bold when the book was first published and remain unusual — but they answer the questions children are often quietly wondering about their bodies without making a big deal of it. Many parents report that their child asks to read this one repeatedly during the pre-training period.

Find Once Upon a Potty on Amazon

3. My Big Girl/Boy Potty by Joanna Cole

Best for: Ages 2–3 years — focuses on the "big kid" motivational angle

Joanna Cole's My Big Girl Potty and My Big Boy Potty tap directly into the developmental motivation that drives most successful potty training: the desire to be like older children and grown-ups. The books follow a young child through the process of learning to use the potty, with warm illustrations and reassuring text that normalises the occasional accident.

The "big girl/big boy" framing is simple but powerful for children who are developmentally ready and want to be seen as growing up. A great complement to Patricelli for children who are closer to the active training phase.

Find My Big Boy/Girl Potty on Amazon

4. Everybody Poops by Taro Gomi

Best for: Ages 18 months–3 years — particularly useful for children anxious about pooing in the potty

Everybody Poops is not strictly a potty training book — it is more of a demystification of the whole concept of bodily functions — but it is one of the most useful books in a potty trainer's library for one specific reason: it normalises pooing completely.

For children who are reluctant or anxious about pooing in the potty — which is extremely common — this book’s matter-of-fact, even humorous approach to the subject takes away some of the mystery and anxiety. It says, simply and clearly: everyone does this. It is normal. It is fine.

Find Everybody Poops on Amazon

5. Princess Potty / Pirate Potty by Samantha Berger

Best for: Ages 2–3 years — for children who need character-based motivation

Some children respond better to potty training books with a strong character-based narrative that they can identify with. Samantha Berger's Princess Potty and Pirate Potty are entertaining, rhyming stories that make the potty training process feel like an adventure rather than a chore.

The "royal flush" sticker included in Princess Potty is a particular hit with many children — a physical reward they can look forward to from the first reading. A fun, motivating choice for children who love imaginative play.

Find Princess Potty on Amazon

colourful stack of children's picture books for toddlers

The right books build familiarity and reduce anxiety before active training begins.

Best Potty Training Books for Parents

Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki

Best for: Parents who want a clear, structured, research-backed method with strong philosophical grounding

Oh Crap! Potty Training has become the most recommended parent potty training book of the past decade for good reason. Jamie Glowacki is a parenting consultant who has helped thousands of families through the process, and her approach is refreshingly direct: she tells you exactly what to do, in what order, and why — and she is honest about what is hard.

The method involves a structured sequence moving from nappy-free to commando to loose clothing to trained, with clear guidance on reading your child's signals and responding consistently. The book is longer than it needs to be in places but the core content is excellent. If you want one parent guide to read, this is it.

Find Oh Crap! Potty Training on Amazon

Stress-Free Potty Training by Sara Au & Peter Stavinoha

Best for: Parents who want to tailor their approach to their child's specific personality type

This book’s most useful contribution is its personality-based framework: it identifies different child types — the goal-directed child, the sensory-oriented child, the internalising child, the impulsive child — and gives specific guidance for each. If you have read general potty training advice and felt like none of it quite fits your child, this book often provides the missing piece.

Particularly useful for parents of children with strong-willed temperaments, sensory sensitivities, or anxiety around the process.

Find Stress-Free Potty Training on Amazon

How to Use Books Most Effectively

Start reading 2–4 weeks before active training begins — the goal is familiarity and normalisation, not instruction the week before
Let your child ask for them — a child who wants to read the potty book repeatedly is pre-motivating themselves
Read them at bathtime or bedtime as part of the routine — the relaxed association helps
Reference them during training — "Remember what happened in the book when they felt that feeling? That is what is happening now!"
Do not force the books — if your child is not interested in a particular title, try a different one. The right book for each child varies.

toddler engrossed in a picture book building early reading habits

Regular reading together builds the language and familiarity that makes real training smoother.

Quick Summary: Books by Age and Purpose

Book	Best Age	Best For
Potty (Patricelli)	12–24 months	First introduction to the concept
Once Upon a Potty	18 months–3 years	Clear, warm explanation of the process
My Big Boy/Girl Potty	2–3 years	Motivating "grown up" angle
Everybody Poops	18 months–3 years	Normalising bowel movements, poo anxiety
Princess/Pirate Potty	2–3 years	Character-driven motivation, imaginative children
Oh Crap! (parent)	Parent read	Clear structured method for parents
Stress-Free Potty Training (parent)	Parent read	Temperament-based approach

Have a favourite potty training book that is not on this list? Leave a comment below — I love adding parent recommendations.

Best Potty Training Books for Toddlers: Recommended by Parents

Potty training books are special written specifically for the toddlers and with the help of their parents they get to read , at the same time enjoy learning the different activities illustrated in the books. The best potty books are colourful , interesting to read and pleasing to the eyes of the toddlers. Sometimes a dose of comedy, instructions, and motivation is all that is required for the potty training process to be easy to learn.

Potty training can be quite a huge step in the life of a toddler. It signifies growing up and up grading from diaper use and the crankiness of using a potty. It is at this time that parents and caregivers rely on the comforts that a potty training book has to offer. While most parents and caregivers consider potty training headache and stressful, these potty training books can a lot of fun, interactive and very engaging to both the parents and the toddlers.

Potty training books can be categorized into two; instructional and entertaining books. These books help in identifying the usefulness of the potty. Potty training books species bodily functions such peeing and pooping. They also show the transition from diapers to the big kid under wear. The potty training books helps the children in teaching them the hand washing steps which is very vital in preventing some diseases. The best potty training books can again be classified into two, the potty training books for girls and the potty training for boys.

Potty training books come with pictures which are very colorful cheerful, they also use family language which even caregivers and parents can enjoy reading and won’t mind reading over and over. The best potty training books also contains rhymes and positive raps which the young toddlers can easily relate to and sing along. These rhymes are so simple are use repetitive style that the toddlers learn easily and can sing along every time.

Hannah
An example of a potty training book is Hannah. This potty training book is about a young sweet girl called Hannah who is now willing and ready to start using the potty. The illustrations found in this book are very attractive and contain much energy. The theme of the books is easy to follow and is perfect for any girl interested in potty training.

In this book we learn of Hannah’s transition from using diapers to a “special magical under wear”. The book uses potty friendly words such as “pee and poop” which the toddlers are familiar with. As the story progresses young girls will want to emulate Hannah as she is a role model to them and this will encourage them to start using the potty as soon as they can. Although Hannah has had rough times in her training sessions, her parents have been there and have lent Hannah a shoulder to lean on and the parents have been very encouraging. At the end of the story, Hannah is proud is proud of her achievements and successes in potty training and any girl who has read the book will want to be her.

A Potty for Me by Karen Katz

A potty for me is a colorful, interactive potty training book which offers simple tips to toddlers and their parents. The book, A potty for me has positive and upbeat phrases that motivate and cheers a hesitant toddler on how to effectively use the potty. The book easily illustrates how a toddler should sit on the potty and with a step by step guideline it shows how the potty should be used. The language used in the book is simple and easy to understand making it an ideal book for parents and care givers who to potty train their toddlers.

Have You Seen My Potty by Mij Kelly and Mary McQuillan

Have you seen my potty is another best potty training book loved by many toddlers who are in this stage of potty training. The book is filled with lovely illustrations and the kids reading this book will want to copy the antics of Suzy Sue who is the main character on this book.

It all begins when Suzy Sue loses her potty chair and embarks on a mission to find it. She goes around asking the farm animals if they might have come across it. The book offers useful potty training tips in a fun and interesting manner. It is in this same book that toddlers are taught about privacy when they want to go “poo poo or pee pee”. The book is very interesting and at the same time very educational.

The Potty Book for Girls by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

This gorgeous pink-colored book features Hannah, a toddler ready to make the evolution from diapers to the potty. Beautifully illustrated and with a sweet, rhyming storyline that takes kids along with them and makes potty training fun and interesting. Toddlers will love looking at the funny things that Hannah's cute little Teddy Bear does as she gets familiarized to the new gift, the potty chair.

It is worth mentioning that using books like these can help ease the transition and make potty training more fun and less fearful. Children relate to characters in books and reading them together will help parents refer to the characters, like Hannah and Suzy Sue, when helping their own child use the potty.

Stop guessing — follow a plan

The Complete Potty Training Guide

The 4-week day-by-day plan, boys' & girls' guides, the Regression Rescue Plan, and two printable bonuses — everything in this post, taken all the way to dry nights.

$29 $17 · Instant PDF · 30-day money-back guarantee

See what's inside →

Baby center potty training

Most children are ready to be potty trained at the ages of 2 and 3 years. The boys have a propensity to be on the latter end of the scale. Most kids have a trouble free time being potty trained while for other it can be a bit tricky.

When Should I Start Potty Training My Child?

Making a decision on when to start potty training is the most vital step in this process. The earlier you begin the better. It can take months but eventually it can be very successful. Again beginning potty training on a very young child can be very difficult and can be very frustrating for the parents. Here at the Baby center for potty training we emphasize that potty training your child is a huge responsibility and here below we have listed some of the clues to help you when you want to start potty training. .

He/She can verbalize when they are going in their diaper. This is a sign of readiness, but when they let you know before they need to go, it's time to start.
You haven't gone through any big transitions lately (a new baby, a move, etc.)
Your child can easily walk to the toilet.
Your child can follow simple directions.
Your child is interested when you go to the bathroom and shows a motivation to go as well.
Your child is verbal enough to let you know when he/she has to go to the bathroom.
Your child stops playing to have a bowel movement.
Your child wakes up from the night with a dry diaper (this isn't a necessity, but it is a big help).
Your child's diaper is dry for long periods, then extremely wet. This demonstrates that they are not going small amounts throughout the day but mostly at one time..

At the baby center for potty training we recommend buying a doll that drinks and goes potty. Your child can assist the doll put on panties and go potty, and then you give the doll a party. When you've completed, your child goes potty and is given a party. We at the baby center for potty training ask the parents give stickers or treats for going potty

How to Potty Train a Toddler

Potty training is a chore every parent has to go undergo. Have you ever marveled what is the best way on how to potty train a child. Although some may differ, as long as you're constant in what you teach and your prospects, we don't think there can be anything termed as a best method.

In describing the methods, one method is called the toddler method. In this method, the parent stays in tune when the infant needs to eliminate and the infant is held over the toilet when he or she needs to eliminate.

Another highly recommended method is called "practice until you get it right." This is the method used by most parents in the United States.

When the child is ready to be toilet-trained, you support them to use the toilet and give them incentives when they are successful.

We at the baby centre for potty training; we highly recommend Dr. Phil’s one-day training method. In this method, a doll is used to demonstrate what to do. Another method is waiting until the child is ready and has started showing interest in potty training.

While some parents prefer to use dolls to potty train, most parents give the dolls as a toy to their child. However you actually have to give it baby food and bottles of water. Some parents have reported this as being very messy. This may seem like a lot of bother. Other than the parent indicating what to do with the doll at first, the child basically trains themselves. Although this method may be the least time consuming, it can take a long time for the child to master.

Potty Training: Girls vs. Boys

One universal question many parents wonder is whether it is trickier to potty train a girl or a boy. Another question parents frequently have is whether they should have their boy sit down or stand up while potty. Most specialists believe girls are easier to potty train than boys, but they don't know why. As for whether to have you little boy stand or sit while urinating, most experts advocate you teach a boy to sit down while potty training. The reason for recommending this is because it is easier to tutor them to sit down for both urination and bowel elimination. After they master potty training, you can teach them to stand while urinating.

Purchasing a Potty Chair

We at the baby center for potty training we advocate for the parents to buy potty seats when they think their children are ready for potty training. There are different types of potty seat and are readily available at very reasonable prices.

Flip potty seats - With flip potty seats, there is potty seat on top of a regular toilet seat. When the potty seat is not in use, they can be easily flipped up so the regular toilet seat can be used. When not in use and the seat is down, they look like a regular toilet seat.
Folded potty seats - If you travel alot, this type of potty seat folds for opportune storage and transportation.
Portable potty seats - Portable potty seats are usually a one piece plastic unit that fits over the toilet seat.
Potty chair - This is a standalone potty chair designed for little ones.
Soft potty seats - Soft potty seats are cushioned for more comfort.

How to Potty Train

If the child has the talents for potty training, alot of potty training is dependent upon timing and reinforcement.

· At certain times they are more pertinent to go than others. Most advantageous toileting times are first thing after first light, after siestas, after eating, after drinking, before a bath, before bed, and after they have had an accident.

· Be on the watch for signs your child may have to go. These signs include: squirming, holding the genital area, and squatting.

· If the child has an accident, no punishment is necessary. However, toilet the child, and if they had a bowel movement accident, make sure they see you deposit the bowel movement in the toilet. As you're dumping the bowel movement in the toilet, tell them that is where the poop or whatever your child calls it goes.

· When the child does eliminate in the toilet, praise them and reward them but do not over do it.

Potty Training Tips

Throughout the trial and error process, many parents have discovered tips to make potty training easier. Some of these tips are:

Dress your child for easier potty training, dresses are easier for girls to manipulate while elasticized shorts or pants without zippers or buttons are easier for boys.
Make potty training fun. Sing potty training songs with your child. Read your child entertaining books about potty training to reinforce the concepts.
To avoid accidents on the furniture, place a rubber-backed rub where they usually sit.
While you son is taking a bath, ask him to urinate in a cup. This teaches him to keep his flow of urine within a defined perimeter.
With a crayon, draw a circle at the bottom of the toilet and ask him to urinate within that circle.

Rewards for Potty Training

Lastly, only you know what your child likes better than anyone else so the rewards can be anything you think will positively emphasize their first-class behavior. Some parents may prefer to use charts and stickers as incentives. Other parents will prefer buying new training underwear which are appealing to children. If the child eliminates in the toilet, he or she can wear the new training pants as a reward rather than the diaper.

Stop guessing — follow a plan

The Complete Potty Training Guide

The 4-week day-by-day plan, boys' & girls' guides, the Regression Rescue Plan, and two printable bonuses — everything in this post, taken all the way to dry nights.

$29 $17 · Instant PDF · 30-day money-back guarantee

See what's inside →

Potty Training Children Under Two: What Parents Should Know

POTTY TRAINING CHILDREN LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD

Potty training children who are less than three years old can a daunting task as the little ones can be repelling and very messy. If the parents make one wrong move it may end up consuming a lot of hours in potty training. Understanding toddlers can also be very difficult. You are not sure when they want to go pee or poop. Most of the times parents do not understand why their toddlers do not want to make the transition from diaper to potty. Although the diapers do a good job of keeping your child comfortable, it also delays potty training and poses a major health risk.

Potty training toddlers who are less than three years old should start as early as possible. The longer you delay the potty training sessions, the more dependent your child becomes to diapers and the more difficult it is for the parents accomplish their mission of potty training.

If you want to start potty training your toddler who are less than 3 year old, you will need to know all of these things. If you make one wrong mistake, it can cost you hours of training and you will set you back. This is why many parents hire a professional that will get the job done fast. Therefore, it is the best for parents to get educated about some simple and yet powerful techniques that can save days of headaches. Potty training toddlers who are less than 3 year old does not have to be difficult if approached correctly!

Nevertheless, if you begin the procedure before the appropriate time, the child will be uncomfortable with the process and harmful to the welfare of the child. However, if you are too late to begin the training, your child will be more difficult to be trained to potty.

Listed below are 5 major potty training tips that can help you succeed in training the toddlers who are less than 3 years old.

Start Early

Start putting your child on the potty early sometime between 12 & 18 months is good. This isn't to get him to do anything but to get him used to sitting on it. Once a child reaches the age of two he is at the "no" stage and often doesn't like anything new being introduced into his life without it being a battle. Think how much money you could save if your child is potty trained at the age of two instead of three years of age.

Make a Decision

One of the most confusing things for your child is if you chop and change. Make a decision as what day you want to start toilet training and then do it. Don't start potty training for a couple of days and think that tomorrow's going to be a busy day so lets forget about it and put diapers on again. This will confuse your child and make potty training much more difficult.

Be Consistent

At whatever age you start be consistent in the way you potty train, this includes the words you use. Every member of your family and any other adult involved in caring for your child need to do and say the same things. Therefore decide before you start how you are going to undertake potty training your child and once this decision is made stick to it.

Praise & Reward

Use praise and rewards for success and never punishment for accidents. This can be more difficult if you tired or are having a very busy day. If you would like a free potty training chart to use as an incentive then I will give you one at the end of my potty training course. If you let your child choose their own stickers to put on the chart then this will be an added incentive to use the potty or toilet.

When not to start potty training

Never start potty training when there is going to be a big change or a very exciting time in your child's life. What may be a little change in your life may appear to be quite large to your child. Going on vacation, Christmas time, moving home or having someone visiting for a few days are all times when it would be advisable not to start toilet training your child.

Last and not least, approach toilet training with confidence and not fear and you will succeed much quicker and with less stress.

Stop guessing — follow a plan

The Complete Potty Training Guide

The 4-week day-by-day plan, boys' & girls' guides, the Regression Rescue Plan, and two printable bonuses — everything in this post, taken all the way to dry nights.

$29 $17 · Instant PDF · 30-day money-back guarantee

See what's inside →