Going to the Potty

by Fred Rogers

Book Overview

"Going to the Potty handles a sensitive subject with the same quiet candor and respect for young audiences that are the hallmark of his Mister Rogers' Neighborhood TV show."--Publishers Weekly

Parent and child may read together about the way children develop in the experience of eliminating waste products from their body and about the positive aspects of using the toilet.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0698115759
• ISBN13: 9780698115750
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 7.1" x 6.6"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

They sent me the wrong book.

Not sure since I didn’t get the book I ordered. Extremely frustrated.

To the point and well written.

Some have reviewed Going to the Potty by Fred Rogers as outdated.Yes---the pictures were taken years ago but who cares. The pictures are discrete yet very informative and neither I nor my child cares what clothes the people are wearing. The information is still up to date---going to the potty hasn't changed over the years has it? I highly recommend this book. It does not contain any silly characters or make potty training into a story but a reality of real people using the potty. Good job Mr. Rogers!

A wonderful, comforting book from Mr. Rogers

My daughter and I love this book. In fact it is her favorite Potty learning book. Mr. Rogers presents potty learning as part of a child's growing up. Parents help the child along his/her way to independence. It is low pressure with lots of photos of real children. My daughter asks me to read this book a couple of times a day. I was very impressed with this book.

son's favorite book

My son is almost 2, and this has been his favorite book for a few months. He doesn't seem to be close to toilet training, but he finds this book utterly fascinating! He'll pick this book over Teletubbies (whom he adores) any day! (The book is pretty dated, but he doesn't notice.)

Going to the Potty

Mr. Rogers addresses this milestone so well because he sees things from a child's perspective. He then discusses the topic in a way in which the child can understand and relate. He does not oversimplify and gloss over the child's experience. He addresses the sensations that a child may experience, for example, noting that the potty seat may feel cold and hard at first, but it soon feels better. Or that sometimes the water is noisy when the toilet is flushed. He also addresses what the child may feel emotionally. He alludes to the sense of pride at accomplishing a new skill on the way to growing up. But he also acknowledges that sometimes there are setbacks. This prepares a child not to feel defeated or like a failure if (when) he or she has an accident. I think Fred Rogers must have been practicing emotional intelligence techniques before it became a well known approach. Again, Mr. Rogers was ahead of his time, and is the most relevant source for exploring new experiences on the way to growing up.

Classic Mr. Rogers--low key, no pressure. Potty magic!

This was absolutely the best potty training book we found! Although Alona Frankel's "Once Upon A Potty" also gets high marks in our family, this book by Fred Rogers (of PBS Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood") was much more interesting for my daughter as it shows real children learning to use the potty. The narrative is simple, and all of the books in the Mr. Rogers' series celebrate growing up and the excitement of being a "big kid". Rogers does an excellent job addressing common fears experienced by preschoolers. Speaks directly to children in very much the same way as Rogers' show.