For the parent-toddler team about to embark on the next developmental milestone comes a new toilet-training tale destined to find a permanent place in a child's library. Ford (First Snow
) and Williams (Tumble Me Tumbily
) tackle this oftentimes tired theme with a freshness apparent in both the language and the artwork. Ford clearly understands that children learn by imitation: Ducky decidedly gives up her diapers when her friend Piggy cannot play because he's too busy in the bathroom (and Ducky's own diapers are wet). Both the text and the characters are straightforward ("I can't come out now... I am sitting on the potty!"). Because the story reads so effortlessly, it aptly reinforces the idea of graduating from diapers: it's just simply something one learns to do. Many of Williams's endearing images earn full-page attention, but the illustration of Piggy reading atop the potty, his pants laying crumpled on the floor and his curlicue tail front and center, will be a surefire favorite. In an age of hyper-parenting, this entertaining tale that teaches by example will be welcomed by adults and youngsters alike. Ages 2-4. (Mar.)
