Annie's Potty

Annie, an articulate toddler who certainly looks and sounds as though she is well beyond the diaper-wearing stage, has no interest in using her new potty. When her mother offers her a new pair of grown-up underpants with rabbits on them, Annie announces that she prefers giraffes. Finally, after watching a visiting friend use the toilet, Annie decides to follow suit. Before long she gets the hang of it, but one day Annie forgets to use the potty and has an accident. But her mother assures her that she is still a big girl, and gives her a new pair of underpants--with giraffes on them. Although Caseley's treatment of the subject is straightforward and realistic, her book ultimately is flat. Also, the graphic language may provoke a sense of unease in both parents and children. The result is an uninspired addition to the already laden shelf of stories about toilet training. Ages 2-up. (Apr.)