The Saddest Toilet in the World
Toilet training can be frustrating for adults and emotional for children…but has anyone ever considered the toilet’s perspective? Well, this book has, incorporating creative humor that both adults and children can appreciate. When Danny admits that he just is not ready to sit on the toilet (yet seems comfortable sitting in other locations) his unhappy toilet decides to pack up, plunger in tow, and find a new home. Danny and his mom set off to find their runaway toilet so that they can share the news that Danny is finally ready to use it. When it comes to toilet training books, The Saddest Toilet in the World is number one on our list…AND number two!
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
A picture walk is a fun way to preview a story before reading the text. Children and adults can look through the pages of the story, including the cover, prior to reading it. Adults can ask children what they think this story might be about, and record their predictions. What clues do children see that support their predictions? Adults can take time to talk about the places where Danny and his mom looked for their toilet. Why did they choose to look in those places? What was the toilet doing instead? At the end of the story, Danny is proud of his accomplishment and celebrates with his family and his toilet.
Adults will enjoy the bathroom humor tucked into the pages of this book, and those who have supported a child through toilet training will appreciate this creative perspective. On several pages of the book, the author and illustrator use conversation bubbles or alternating colors of text to designate which character is speaking. Adults can point to the characters when they are reading the text and can use a different voice for each. These techniques support comprehension and also keep young readers engaged. Adults can ask children how the characters in the book might be feeling at different times during the story to help them connect which character might be speaking as well as what they might do or say next.