School Library Journal Review

PreS--While there are numerous books for toddlers on learning to use the potty, and several other unrelated "Poop Song" versions on the internet, this one takes a broader approach: All creatures, whether fish, caterpillars, camels, or others, have to poop no matter where they are. Of course, children are included as well in a recurring refrain that emphasizes the human, though binary, approach to the call of nature, "But the BIG BOYS and the BIG GIRLS are pooping in the potty. And then we hear a happy sound. FLUSH!" The lyrics rhyme, but it might require one to first access a link to the song to hear the author's musical rendition in order to get the rhythm just right. In the musical version, a chorus of children shout the word "poop" every time it comes up in the song, which may be one fun way to share this book with toddlers, who love to shout the word adults usually refrain from speaking. That may be the point: With this book, Litwin normalizes a process everyone does, but no one really talks about. It's not a book about learning to use the toilet, but unabashedly portrays the function as an everyday, common occurrence. The illustrations are colorful, humorous, and festive as every creature looks to be quite relieved and happy that their bodily functions are in good order. VERDICT If a collection is in need of a title that, like Taro Gomi's Everybody Poops, reinforces the point that all creatures poop, then this is the one to have.--Maggie Chase, Boise State Univ., ID