Once Upon a Potty
This book takes a frank approach to toilet training by naming body parts and showing a potty being used as a hat or a watering can before it's used properly. Its plainness helps children see the training process as a gradual progression.
Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel is estimated to take about 6 minutes to read aloud (450 words, about 2 sentences a page), and it lands best with children aged 2-4.
- Estimated read-aloud time
- about 6 minutesEstimated read-aloud time
- Estimated word count
- 450Our estimate
- Sentences per page
- 2Sentences per page
- Re-read tolerance
- 3/5holds up
- Vocabulary level
- 2/5everyday words
- Best for
- Ages 2-4Our editorial fit
Our review
The repetitive text and clear illustrations make the mechanics of using the potty easy for a toddler to follow. By showing the potty used for play first, it demystifies the object and makes the eventual transition to actual use feel much more natural.
This is ideal for the toddler who is just starting to show interest in bathroom routines. It’s a practical, straightforward tool for parents navigating the messy reality of potty training.
Before you buy it
Be sure to check the cover before you buy, as separate "for him" and "for her" editions exist with different text and art. The anatomical drawings are quite frank.
Themes
- toilet
- bodies
- independence
- routine
Books like Once Upon a Potty
Matched by refrain, density, length, and listener—not just the subject.
Questions parents ask
How long does it take to read Once Upon a Potty aloud?
About 6 minutes at an unhurried pace, including a standard allowance for page turns, pictures and participation, from a word count of 450. Stopping for a longer conversation on every page will add more time.
What age is Once Upon a Potty actually for?
Ages 2-4 in our testing, which is narrower than the publisher's range. With 2 sentences a page and vocabulary at 2 out of 5, it asks for that much attention span and no more.
Does Once Upon a Potty survive being read on repeat?
Yes, reasonably. It stays bearable through the repeat-request phase without becoming a favourite forever.
Is Once Upon a Potty a good book for a child who will not sit still?
It helps that it has a refrain a child can join in with. Those three features are what keep a wriggling toddler listening, far more than the subject matter does.
Will my child memorise Once Upon a Potty?
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 Once Upon a Potty on their own?
It is closer than most picture books. With 2 sentences 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 Once Upon a Potty cover?
We tag it with toilet, bodies, independence and routine. 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.
