Many parents struggle to get their kids to warm up to the idea of potty training. One way to turn the tide on your potty-training struggle is to introduce children’s books about potty training. An assortment of picture books feature tales of young potty-trainers who, just like your child, find learning this new skill a challenge. By sharing these tales with your child, you may be able to help them see that they aren’t alone and that conquering the potty is within reach.
Newer Books
Potty Time with Bean By Ms. Rachel
The potty training-themed board book Potty Time with Bean by Ms. Rachel is a strong choice for toddlers who already know and love Ms. Rachel’s gentle, encouraging style. The book follows Bean through the potty-training process in a way that feels familiar, reassuring, and age-appropriate. After reading, encourage your child to “teach” a doll or stuffed animal how to use the potty, helping reinforce the steps in a playful, low-pressure way.
Let’s Go to the Potty! By Allison Jandu
Let’s Go to the Potty! by Allison Jandu is a practical, toddler-friendly potty training book that walks young children through the process in a clear and encouraging way. Because Jandu is a potty-training consultant, the book is especially useful for parents who want a story that also introduces real potty-training steps. Read it before starting the routine, then refer back to it when your child needs a reminder that learning to use the potty takes patience and practice.
Time to Use the Potty By DK
The board book Time to Use the Potty by DK follows twins Jasmine and Jack as they begin their potty-training journey. This book is a good choice for children who benefit from seeing other kids go through the same experience, including the uncertainty, accidents, and small successes that come with learning. Use it to normalize the process and remind your novice pottier that mistakes are part of becoming more confident.
Potty Party! By Dionna L. Mann
Potty Party! by Dionna L. Mann turns potty training into something upbeat and celebratory. Featuring a diverse group of children, this energetic board book focuses on the big-kid milestone of leaving diapers behind and learning what to do when it’s time to go. It’s a great option for toddlers who respond well to excitement, praise, and encouragement — and it can be paired with a simple “potty party” celebration after a successful try.
Flush! Flush! Flush! By Douglas Florian
Flush! Flush! Flush! by Douglas Florian is a rhyming board book designed to make the bathroom routine feel fun and approachable. The simple, repetitive language makes it a good read-aloud choice for younger toddlers who are just starting to learn the basics of potty training. Use this book to reinforce the routine — sit, try, flush, wash hands — so your child begins to understand potty time as a regular part of the day.
Oldies but Goodies
I Want My Potty By Tony Ross
The potty training-theme picture book I Want My Potty by Tony Ross is ideal for the little girl who fancies herself a princess, as it details the exploits of a princess in the midst of potty training. After reading this book with your novice potty trainer, offer her a crown as a potty time motivational tool as a sure-fire way to motivate her to give the potty a go.
Sam’s Potty By Barbro Lindgren
In the picture book Sam’s Potty by Barbro Lindgreen, young Sam is, like most boys, hesitant to use the potty. This hesitancy immediately leaves as his best friend, playful pup, discovers and warms up to the toilet. This book is a great choice for boys who hold their dogs near and dear, as the canine theme will likely captivate and delight these dog-lovers.
What Do You Do With a Potty? By Marianne Borgardt
The interactive picture book What Do You Do With a Potty by Marianne Borgardt features movable pop-up images, making it immediately engaging to the novice pottier. Use this book as a way to introduce the concept of potty-usage. Your child will likely love manipulating the pop-ups on the colorful pages. After reading, she will be better prepared to tackle the challenges of potty usage.
Toilet Tales By Andrea Von Konigslow
Toilet Tales by Andrewa Von Konigslow is a comical picture book tells the tale of a menagerie of animals and their attempts to use the potty. As the book progresses, each animal tries — and fails — to use the toilet as it is intended. The book concludes with an encouraging message to young pottiers, telling them that the toilet is intended for them, not these silly animals.
Annie’s Potty By Judith Caseley
Annie’s Potty by Judith Casely is perfect for little girls. In this potty training-themed picture book, Caseley tells the tale of Annie, a little girl who is hesitant to give up her diaper-wearing ways. The book follows her trials and tribulations, allowing young readers to see that potty training isn’t always easy. As the book concludes, Annie experiences potty-training success and, as a reward, gets a pair of big-girl panties featuring her favorite animal, a lovable giraffe.
Potty Books for Mom and Dad
Oh Crap! Potty Training By Jamie Glowacki
While children’s books about potty training can help toddlers feel more comfortable with the idea of using the potty, parents may also appreciate having a practical guide of their own. Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki offers a step-by-step approach for parents seeking a more structured plan to transition from diapers to potty independence. This book is best used as a parent resource alongside the picture books above, giving adults extra guidance, troubleshooting tips, and confidence as they support their child through the process. The current Gallery Books edition is listed by Simon & Schuster as a 304-page parenting book focused on toilet training.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Toilet Training By the American Academy of Pediatrics
While children’s books about potty training can help toddlers understand the process, parents may also want a trusted resource written for adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Toilet Training: Revised and Updated Second Edition offers practical guidance from a pediatric perspective, helping parents understand when a child may be ready, how to approach toilet training, and what to do when setbacks happen. This is a useful companion to the picture books above, especially for parents who want reassurance that potty training does not have to happen on a rigid timeline.
