Cute potty-training books ahoy!

Don't make me walk the plank, but this is not going to be an honest review. It's more of a gush. Or should I say flush?

Aarrrgh. Anyway, the point is I'm not going to be objective about these two completely adorable books because my sister-in-law, Amy Cartwright, is the one who made them so adorable with her cute and clever artwork. (See a spread from each book.) And gave us a copy of each book to treasure.

Pirate Potty and Princess Potty, written by Samantha Berger and published by Scholastic, both combine a fun, encouraging toilet-learning story with a fun twist on a sticker chart. Each comes with a punch-out hat (a tiara for the princesses, a black pirate's hat for the--you know--pirates) and a page of stickers. So each time little princesses or pirates do their potty thing, they can choose a sticker as a reward and place it on their hat.

The text is adept enough to charm kids without being too cloying for their parents ("The pirate pulls down his pirate undies and sits down on his pirate potty, which is just like a potty, except ... It's black as night, with three Jolly Roger flags, two cannonballs, and one big X marks the spot!"). The stories are identical in structure, with the wording and details changed to make them princessy and piratey.

The books are paperback and inexpensive ($5.99) but the paper inside is very sturdy and glossy (I bet water--or, um, other things--would wipe off easily, although I didn't want to test this theory with my copies). The front cover is tricked out with sparkly glitter letters (Princess) and shiny gold letters (Pirate). Each also has a list of basic toilet-training tips on the back cover. For example: "Remember that accidents can happen to even the most perfect princesses, but in time she will find her rightful place on the throne."

Mayberry Mom's children have, indeed, found their rightful place on the throne, but they still enjoy the pictures in these books and they bet you will too.

Please read our disclosure statement. These books were given as a gift to Mayberry Mom's children by the book's illustrator. If you happen to buy the books via the links above, The Full Mommy earns a very teeny tiny commission.