15 Potty Training Books For Parents & Toddlers

Alona Frankel has written and illustrated 30 children’s books, so let’s just say, she knows her audience. That comes in handy here when the subject is potty training. In Frankel’s One Upon A Potty, kids can follow Prudence as she learns about her own potty. This book is designed for kids as young as 1, so you can use it as an introduction to the whole potty training experience.

Karen Katz’s A Potty For Me! flap book features all the requisite moments of potty training (accidents, parents sitting on the regular toilet next to a child sitting on a training potty, and more) told in sweet and straightforward rhymes. Tots will instantly recognize the scenes in this potty training book which make it a great tool to use as they explore independent trips to the bathroom.

When it comes to books for very little kids, sometimes the illustrations are more important than the words. That’s the case with Potty, Leslie Patricelli’s potty training book. In it, kids get to see the main character not only find the potty, but make their own choice to try it. They’re introduced to underwear and how it might be a surprise to discover they have to poop instead of pee. It covers it all in fun illustrations.

Do you have a Daniel Tiger fan in your house? Then you must buy Daniel Goes To The Potty. Just like the accompanying TV episode, here our favorite feline learns all about going to the bathroom and to make it even more entertaining, there’s a button to make a flush sound built into the book! Show your child that they can be like their favorite cartoon character with this potty training book.

The go-to kid potty training book since 1977, there’s a reason Everyone Poops has had such a great run. That’s because it’s really a body science book disguised as a children’s book. In it, author Taro Gomi explains how every creature on earth makes some kind of bowel movement, from bunnies to elephants. As it turns out, that’s a very powerful concept that can actually help encourage kids to learn to go on their own.

Think of this Time to Pee! as both a kid-potty training story and a parental guide. Designed by cartoonist Mo Willems, it helps kids think about listening to their bodies — a critical skill in potty training — to understand them know when to go. Plus, the illustrations are super fun and designed in the classic Mo Willems fashion. The only complaint some parents had was that this book encourages males to stand and females to sit, which is not a hard and fast rule. Some may have better success sitting at first.

Need to give your child some incentive for using the potty? There’s the old M&M tactic or a sticker strategy option. But how about just telling your child about the fun of trading in diapers for all kinds of exciting underwear? That’s part of the approach in Big Girl Panties. It’s a whole new window into fashion that some kinds will find fascinating and might help put your little potty trainer reach full time flushing status.

Let’s call Elmo what the muppet is: an influencer. If you want your kid to do something, having Elmo do it first is always a convincing step. So it’s only natural that Potty Time With Elmo potty training book might yield big results. Kids will love how Elmo is training his doll, Baby David, to use the potty. Even better? The book features seven fun buttons that make flushing and washing sounds, as well as words of encouragement, that go along with the story.

A brilliant fractured fairytale, in this story Goldilocks is on the hunt for a potty that’s “just right.” Will she find it? Using mixed-media illustrations, follow Goldi on her quest — perhaps like your own little one’s — to locate the potty of her dreams and get some great new undies in the process in Goldilocks and Just the Right Potty.

Why not make potty training a celebration. That’s the angle Alyssa Satin Capucilli goes for in The Potty Book For Boys. When a big box arrives for Henry, he’s so excited. Might it be a new toy? A new rocking chair? Nope, it’s a potty! And that means that he’s become such a big boy, he can let go of his diapers and move on to using the toilet full-time. Kids will feel the excitement of their next big developmental milestone as they read this sweet and silly story.

Specifically designed for potty training girls, with Ready to Go! Toilet Time: A Training Kit for Girls by expert child psychologist and mother of two Dr. Janet Hall, parents can follow a brief 16 page guide. To achieve potty training success, the book comes with two reward charts and stickers, so parents have all the tools they need to make potty training fun and fulfilling for their daughter. As one Amazon critic put it, “Clear, concise, and sequenced perfectly — toddler loves it.”

“A must have! I'm just about done me reading the book and I'm super confident to start potty training,” writes one Walmart critic of Oh Crap! Potty Training. Not a bad sign. If there’s one thing parents are hoping for when they embark on potty training, it’s to do it right the first time. Accidents may happen, but the last thing any parent wants is to see their child regress to diapers. “Oh Crap!” promises to make that happen using a six-step plan for children 20–30 months old. Just follow the steps and author Jamie Glowacki says you can have your toddler potty trained in days.

Want to put a hard number on how long it’ll take to potty train? How about Potty Training in 3 Days? This potty training book blends psychology and step-by-step actions to help parents understand what’s going on in their child’s head while they get them restroom-ready. And with a 72% five star rating on Amazon, that method seems to pay off. As one critic wrote, “Finally something that worked for a stubborn 3 year old!”

Tears, man. They’ll break your heart. Especially when it’s your child crying over having to use the toilet. Avoid the hysterics by opting for The No-Cry Potty Training Solution all about improving and boosting a child’s self-esteem while mastering potty training. As a bonus, this book also includes an essential list of bathroom safety checklists and childproofing strategies.

Two words parents love to hear: stress-free. That’s what this potty training book, Stress-Free Potty Training, promises. And delivers in a creative way. The book includes things like quizzes to help determine what potty training method will be best for their child. It also has sections to help determine a child’s readiness for potty training. In addition, it’s chock full of practical advice to clear away any potty training confusion.