You Poop Here

Toddler-PreS--In a field filled with gendered books about toilet training, this refreshing title stands out by encouraging all children to see pooping, and by extension the use of the potty, as a universal, cross-gender, interspecies need. Lively illustrations in acrylic ink-on-paper are accompanied by sparse text, with each illustration depicting an organism defecating. The portrayals are comical and not scientifically accurate, focusing not on the action but on the location the act takes place. The only difference between an ant, a monkey, an alligator, and a child comes down to one question: "Where do you poop?" The title draws toward a fitting conclusion while accompanying illustrations feature a racially inclusive cast all using the potty because "You poop here!" Included at the end are fun facts about poop and a short primer on what it is. VERDICT An excellent first purchase for anyone looking to expand their potty learning collection, and an ideal complement to Taro Gomi's classic Everyone Poops.--Jessica Caron, Bancroft Sch., MA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

★ In a field filled with gendered books about toilet training, this refreshing title stands out by encouraging all children to see pooping, and by extension the use of the potty, as a universal, cross-gender, interspecies need. . . . An excellent first purchase for anyone looking to expand their potty learning collection"—School Library Journal, Starred Review

Addressing audiences still in or recently out of diapers, Meisel emits an elemental info dump based on the notion that every creature poops somewhere. . . . Following views of discreetly posed children sitting on toilets that are billed as, parenthetically, the place to pee, too, he closes with a deposit of facts about what poop is, how much of it elephants can produce (300 pounds a day!), and other nuggets of natural history.—Booklist

A parade of animals pooping in their natural habitats leads to human toddlers proudly sitting on the potty. . . . In all, eighteen smiling creatures from a variety of habitats poop on uncluttered pages. A simple line of text accompanies each cheery illustration. . . . Everyone Poops will always be number one, but You Poop Here is a solid number two.—The Horn Book

While potty books abound, Meisel's stands out in its unvarnished directness and respect, simple words and pictures speaking directly at the level of young children. . . . A godsend for caregivers on the prowl for potty-training—Kirkus Reviews