Everyone Poops
It normalises the subject by starting with animals like elephants and whales. By the time it reaches the child, a resistant toddler has stopped feeling singled out. The one-line pacing makes it perfect for use while sitting on the potty.
Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi is estimated to take about 3.5 minutes to read aloud (142 words, about 1 sentence a page), and it lands best with children aged 2-4.
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- Estimated read-aloud time
- about 3.5 minutesEstimated read-aloud time
- Estimated word count
- 142Our estimate
- Sentences per page
- 1Sentence per page
- Re-read tolerance
- 3/5holds up
- Vocabulary level
- 2/5everyday words
- Best for
- Ages 2-4Our editorial fit
Our review
By starting with large animals, the book removes the immediate self-consciousness a child might feel about their own bodily functions. It frames the topic as a natural, universal fact of life for every living thing.
The simple, repetitive structure is ideal for very short attention spans. It is particularly useful for maintaining engagement during the actual, often difficult, moments of potty training.
Before you buy it
Since the book features explicit cartoon drawings of animals defecating, it may be a bit much for some households or become a frequent topic at the dinner table.
Themes
- bodies
- animals
- normalising
- toilet
Books like Everyone Poops
Matched by refrain, density, length, and listener—not just the subject.
Questions parents ask
How long does it take to read Everyone Poops aloud?
About 3.5 minutes at an unhurried pace, including a standard allowance for page turns, pictures and participation, from a word count of 142. Stopping for a longer conversation on every page will add more time.
What age is Everyone Poops actually for?
Ages 2-4 in our testing, which is narrower than the publisher's range. With 1 sentence a page and vocabulary at 2 out of 5, it asks for that much attention span and no more.
Does Everyone Poops survive being read on repeat?
Yes, reasonably. It stays bearable through the repeat-request phase without becoming a favourite forever.
Is Everyone Poops a good book for a child who will not sit still?
It helps that it has a refrain a child can join in with, and it asks the child questions to answer out loud. Those three features are what keep a wriggling toddler listening, far more than the subject matter does.
Will my child memorise Everyone Poops?
Probably, and fast. The book leans on a repeated refrain, and at 3 out of 5 for re-read tolerance it survives the nightly repeats that get a book memorised. Expect your child to chant the pattern back before they can actually read.
Can a beginning reader read Everyone Poops on their own?
It is closer than most picture books. With 1 sentence a page and plain vocabulary (2 out of 5), a confident early reader can attempt it, though it is written to be read aloud first.
What themes does Everyone Poops cover?
We tag it with bodies, animals, normalising and toilet. Those are the threads that actually run through the book, not just the ones on the cover, which is how it earns its place on our themed lists rather than a keyword match.
Lists Everyone Poops is on
50 reviewed booksBooks for 3 Year OldsBrowse 50 books for 3 year olds. Includes read-aloud times and word counts to help you match the story to your child's current attention span.
8 reviewed booksPotty Training BooksPotty training books with estimated read-aloud times and re-read scores to help you find books that actually survive daily repetition.