Two new picture books stick to the facts (of life).
Danny Is Done with Diapers: A Potty ABC
Rebecca O'Connell
, illus. by Amanda Gulliver. Albert Whitman
, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8075-1466-5
O'Connell (Baby Goes Beep
) offers up a literary twofer, matching every letter of the alphabet to both a toilet-training related act and a child's name. With the exception of one fudge (she uses “Lexi” for X), the alliterative result brings to mind a winsome Everybody Poops
crossed with “It's a Small World (After All).” Thus, “F is for Flush. Farook knows it's fun to flush” and “U is for Underpants. Usma uses underpants. She puts them on herself.” Although first-time picture book illustrator Gulliver's rosy-cheeked toddlers and cozy acrylic vignettes may strike boys as overly precious, most kids (and parents) should be impressed by the book's comprehensiveness (“W is for Wipe. Wendy wipes from front to back”) and how author and illustrator achieve a cheerful frankness. Poops (including a kitty's) are never hidden from view, and Quashiba poses the question, “Where does the peepee go?” while her mother sits on the toilet. Ages 2–5. (Mar.)