I just spent the last month in Potty World. Let me clarify…I just re-created something known as “Potty Kits” for my library system. I say re-created, because when I worked in Oregon, my friend and fellow librarian Laura in Hillsboro came up with this wonderful idea — put materials on potty training into a bag and circulate them. The Potty Kits are so incredibly popular that they are never on the shelf. So, get yourself a canvas bag (or waterproof is even better, something that wipes off easily), and make those Potty Kits. Ours have been available for 2 weeks now and not a single one is on the shelf.
What, you may ask, is in a Potty Kit? The ones I just created have 5 picture books, a DVD, and a parent book. Of course the kits contain Everyone Poops by Gomi, and a new title that I think is not only cute, but may soon be a perennial favourite, No More Diapers for Ducky, by Bernette G. Ford. This book features a little piggy who cannot come out to play because he is sitting on the potty, reading, and a little duck in a very fuzzy diaper. I also included a Sesame Street board book, Too Big for Diapers, and another board book, Potty Time by Bettina Paterson. The DVD is Potty Power, which features lots of songs and little vignettes on using the potty, plus a very saccharin story about a princess and her potty. For parents, there’s The Potty Training Answer Book by Karen Deerwester.
But the book and CD combo that started it all for me here in Nova Scotia is Tinkle Tinkle Little Tot: the toilet training songbook, by Bruce Lansky & Richard (is that your real name?) Pottle. Who can resist such hits as “The Pee Pee Dance” and “The Tushy Pushy,” both sung to the tune of the Hokey Pokey, and of course, “Itsy-Bitsy Poo-Poo,” sung to the tune of that famous spider song. I saw this book in amongst the items for sale in the staff lunchroom, and bought 5 copies (later we purchased 7 more so that all our branches would have a Potty Kit).
You have to understand about the lunchroom sales. There’s this guy who comes around peddling things. Books always, but also strange things like flying monkey toys and glowing orbs and dig-for-your-own-pearl necklaces. And we aren’t the only place he visits – you can find these items at the local pub as well, sitting out on the bar for folks to peruse. I like buying from the Peddler, it reminds me of Caps for Sale. Mind you, I never see this guy, but magically, once a month, the items appear, and you sign up for what you want, pay our tech services head, and then she gives them to you when he comes back. So we have some interesting books in our collection from the Peddler, including Tinkle Tinkle Little Tot. But don’t worry–I just checked on Amazon, and you can get this book in the states too. Just not for $5 from our local Peddler.
PS– if you’d like to see our Potty Kits, click here.