Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/01/2016 In this companion to How to Pee: Potty Training for Boys (2015), Spector again advocates the creative approach, encouraging children to behave theatrically in learning how to use the toilet. Though the dramatis personae have a distinctly gendered cast—fairies, ballerinas, princess, witch—at least two suggestions escape gender expectations by involving trips out into the (fenced) yard, either by day to “Water the plants” or with a parent at night for a chorus of “Tinkle, tinkle, little star.” Chung illustrates each of the 10 four-step scenarios with cute, discreet cartoon views of a costumed child heading, often but not always with Mom and/or Dad, toward either a full-size toilet or a pink porta potty. The family is white, but a darker-skinned guest does arrive for a collective “Tea Party Style.” The author, a family practice physician, closes with sage advice for parents. Wiping afterward doesn’t get a mention but could easily be incorporated into the playful strategy. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.