The Poop Song

March 15, 2021
As the title indicates, a song about pooping in the potty. Best known for writing several of the early Pete the Cat books, Litwin opens this picture book with the lines "CATS poop in their own little box. / MOUNTAIN GOATS poop as they climb over rocks." Ensuing pages show other animals (and eventually dinosaurs and extraterrestrials) pooping, too, but the book's main goal seems to be to use humor to inspire human children to do their business on the potty. As the refrain states in part, "But the BIG BOYS and BIG GIRLS are pooping in the potty. / And then we hear a happy sound. // FLUSH!" The text has a rhythmic, rhyming cadence that clearly lends itself to singing while accompanying childlike illustrations of smiling, defecating animals and children of differing skin colors enhance the humor of the text. Children should respond positively to the silly depictions of "SPACE MARTIANS poop[ing] by a faraway star" (space Martian dung is gray, evidently) and a picture of "Mr. Eric" (so indicated by a license plate) exclaiming "A little BLUEBIRD just pooped on my car." While there's no sheet music in the book, a note on the jacket flap prompts readers to find a recording of the song at the publisher's website. Listeners will be treated to an upbeat tune, flushing sound effects, kids' voices chiming in with Litwin's, and perhaps just a few fartlike sounds for good measure. Sure to be music to the ears of potty-training families. (Picture book. 1-3)

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