Review by Booklist Review
PreS. This simple toilet-training tale suggests reasons to abandon diapers (they feel cold and wet ) while also hinting at the potty's big-kid cachet. Ducky wants to play with Piggy, but Piggy is otherwise occupied behind a closed door: I can't come out now. . . . I am sitting on the potty! Intrigued, Ducky eventually wriggles out of her diaper, kicks it across the floor, and takes a turn in Piggy's bathroom. The odd, fluffy texture of Ducky's diaper may initially confuse children (it doesn't have much in common with the disposable or cloth versions kids will know), and some may wonder why an adult doesn't empty and clean the potty chair before Piggy passes it off to Ducky. But the absence of grown-ups throughout sends a valuable message about children approaching big transitions on their own terms, and the book's airy design; brief, oversize text; and droll watercolors from the illustrator of Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck (2000) are right on target. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
For the parent-toddler team about to embark on the next developmental milestone comes a new toilet-training tale destined to find a permanent place in a child's library. Ford (First Snow ) and Williams (Tumble Me Tumbily ) tackle this oftentimes tired theme with a freshness apparent in both the language and the artwork. Ford clearly understands that children learn by imitation: Ducky decidedly gives up her diapers when her friend Piggy cannot play because he's too busy in the bathroom (and Ducky's own diapers are wet). Both the text and the characters are straightforward ("I can't come out now... I am sitting on the potty!"). Because the story reads so effortlessly, it aptly reinforces the idea of graduating from diapers: it's just simply something one learns to do. Many of Williams's endearing images earn full-page attention, but the illustration of Piggy reading atop the potty, his pants lying crumpled on the floor and his curlicue tail front and center, will be a surefire favorite. In an age of hyper-parenting, this entertaining tale that teaches by example will be welcomed by adults and youngsters alike. Ages 2-4. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Ducky knocks on Piggy's door wanting to play, but Piggy is busy sitting on the potty. So Ducky waits. She plays with Piggy's toys and reads his books, but still he's not ready. Then she notices her own diaper. "It feels cold. It feels wet." She kicks it off and declares, "No more diapers for Ducky!" The book ends with the porker waiting to play while his friend sits on the potty. Both text and illustrations are simple and endearing. The message is clear, yet subtle: learning to use the potty takes time, commitment, and willingness on the part of a child. The interaction between these toddlers and their implicit support of one another is charming. The dynamic characters, done in thick charcoal outlines and watercolor, are set against a white background. Details are kept to a minimum-a ball, some blocks, a few board books-allowing for a focused presentation of a highly charged time of life. This title is simpler and more relaxed than many others on the subject.-Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
