It is a very well-known fact that stories about poo are extremely popular with young children. Mastering the human chore of going to the bathroom is a big part of childhood development, so it is not surprising that there are a lot of books for kids aimed at helping them past that milestone. These are undeniably useful parenting tools (sometimes!), but most importantly they entertain kids over and over again. My kids have the biggest laughs at any picture books involving poo!
Now, as an adult you may not always enjoy this topic as a read aloud, but you cannot deny how much children love it. So to help you pick some good ones, I have listed my favourite three toilet humour books…actually 4, I couldn’t whittle it down to only 3! In these first two, it was the endings that really got me and made me laugh out loud too; unexpected and therefore brilliant!
I Really Really Need a Wee
By Karl Newson and Duncan Beedie
So this is a wonderful book about Bush Baby who is in a fix. She didn’t need a wee before she left home but now she is bursting for the toilet! Follow her on her journey to find a suitable place to ‘go’.
This picture book is bursting with wonderfully bright and expressive illustrations that really pop off the page, bringing the story to life. You really feel for Bush Baby as you can see how desperate she is! The relief on Bush Baby’s face when she finally relieves herself is absolute perfection.
There is a lovely rhythm running through the pages with delightful rhymes, combined with the splendid pictures, the text had my two little ones furiously giggling away! The ending surprised me and had me giggling too so it’s a clear winner for me.
In short this is a funny, silly, and very entertaining story book. I Really Really Need a Wee is a book that ALL children (and adults!) will relate to and thoroughly enjoy.
The perfect picture book to teach children the importance of that last-chance bathroom trip!
What a Naughty Bird!
By Sean Taylor and Dan Widdowson
This is a story of a bird. A naughty bird who flies around the world, pooing on other animals. One day, this naughty bird takes it too far when he poos on a bear. The naughty bird forgot bears can climb trees…
This is a hilarious, rhyming book with lots of repetition for little ones to get involved with. To be fair the ending is rather disgusting but my two children thought it was absolutely hilarious so this book needed to be in the top 3. The illustrations are simple but portray the story so well and make it a wonderful read.
It won’t help your child learn any toilet skills but at least they’ll know never to poo on a bear and I can assure you they will laugh to their hearts content!
Poo in the Zoo
By Steve Smallman and Ada Grey
This book is literally packed full of POO!
Bob McGrew is a zookeeper with an almost impossible job of clearing up ALL the poo! A zoo full of animals means there is a lot of poo to clean up, in all shapes and sizes- not a job anyone would really want! One day, Bob stumbles across something he has never seen before – glowing poo! Bob is unsure what to do with it, so he decides to make it the star attraction at the zoo. People from around the world come to see it. Then, an eccentric Hector Gloop, a poo collector who simply must have the glowing poo to add to his collection, turns up. Bob seizes the opportunity to use the glowing poo to make his life a little easier!
It probably goes without saying that this is a very silly children’s book, and you do have to say ‘poo’ quite a lot as you read it aloud. But it’s very funny, and utterly delightful for giggly children who love a good poo story. It’s told in rhyme, with a rhythm that flows really well as you read it. The pictures are brilliant with plenty of poo for little ones to examine and discuss! If you have children of any age, you’ll know from the title alone that this is a book they will want to read. So I fully recommend you get a copy of it!
Don’t Go There
By Jeanne Willis and Hrefna Bragadottir
Okay, so here is my last recommendation, and possibly one of my favourites involving toilet humour. I really liked this one because it has a catchy, little song in it which every child learning to use the toilet could sing to help them!
“Lid up, pants down, bottom on the seat. Sit still, just chill, until the job's complete. Whistle if you want to. Singing can be fun. Wipe, flush, wash hands, then you're done!”
My two little ones loved this book and still remember the song even though we haven’t read it for a while.
A small human is tasked with toilet training a small green alien when she discovers him in her home one day. The little alien has no idea that it’s totally inappropriate to direct his wee towards the painting easel or leave his of poo in the bird bath! So the little girl takes her new friend into the bathroom and shows him the toilet. The alien is not keen to use such a cold, deep object and runs off to find something better!
After many tries on other objects, the girl finally marches the alien back to the bathroom and makes him go on the toilet using the song to explain what to do. The alien’s effort doesn’t quite sound (or look) the same but he does his very best, even though his pants do end up being flushed down the loo! Eventually of course, with lots of practice, he does get it right.
This one is sure to give little ones, and adults, a little laugh at the mishaps that happen throughout the story. This is a brilliant picture book to help little ones who are learning to use the toilet, with wonderful, comical illustrations and gentle rhyme throughout. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.