14 Books to Help Your Child Poop
It probably comes as no surprise that Annette and Jessica keep a Poop Library. We spend lots of time searching for just the right books that help our littlest clients normalize pooping. And of course, we want to share with you all our favorite go to kids’ books! Browsing your local library you’ll see that there is a book for almost every topic you can think of relating to bathroom issues you and your kiddo may be dealing with. There are books that address kids that withhold, accidents, constipation, kids that can’t sense their body signals, fear of sitting on the potty, kids too busy to stop, and picky eating. When a child sees themselves and their emotions in a character in a story, sometimes it speaks to them like no adult ever could. And as a bonus, it often gives the caretaker child friendly words to use and ways to remind the child that the character the love is doing the same thing.
We recently talked about 14 of our favorite books from our Poop Library in a Facebook Live. And yes, it was hard to pick just 14. We have many more books in our library!
Read on as we going into more details about the books
Please note these are all books that we highly recommend and use with the clients we see in person. These are affiliate links and we do receive a small commission (at no cost to you) when you purchase through these links.
Books For Kids that Withhold
A story about a boy who visits the Doctor because he is scared that going to the potty will hurt. The doctor dissuades his fears by telling him an imaginative story of Bill the Coyote and also explains how the body works inside as well how different foods make it easier or harder to go.
2. My Puppy's A Poo Magician: A story about a puppy who is scared to poo by Melissa Yapp.
Geared towards children about 2-3 years old, this story is about a puppy named Meatball who makes his poos disappear by holding them in only to have embarrassing accidents happen later. This book opens the complex conversation about constipation, stool withholding and encopresis and brings it down to a simple level kids can relate to.
3. Softy the Poop: Helping Families Talk About Poop by Thomas R DuHamel PhD
A little unconventional and very silly, this story is told from the point of view of “Softy the Poop”! Softy helps kids understand why he wants to be soft instead of hard and how to eat the right foods to make that happen. Softy teaches the difference between normal and constipated poop in a way that toddlers, preschoolers, and Kindergarteners will understand.
4. I Can’t, I Won’t, No Way!: A Book for Children Who Refuse to Poop by Tracey J. Vessillo
For parents of children who are potty training and refusing to sit on the potty to go. This book can help your child who will identify with the character who has the same fears and apprehension but then is able to overcome them and just go on the potty!
Books for kids that can’t sense when they have to poop or pee (Interoception)
5. I Feel… Something: Listening to Your Body for Kids by DJ Corchin
If your child tells you they don’t feel when they have to pee or poo, they may be dealing with a sensory disorder relating to interoception. This book introduces the concept of interoception (sensing the body’s signals) to kids in a fun way to help them interpret and deal appropriately with the signals their body is sending them on a daily basis. This book is not just for toileting issues but for other inner body sensations such as hunger and thirst as well.
Books for kids who are too busy to stop playing to use the toilet
6. “Bloop Bloop!” Goes the Poop by Temara Moore
In this story, the character is wondering, what is that rumbling noise in his belly? He learns that his body is letting him know it’s time to use the potty! This book uses fun sounds as a way to teach about how to make it to the potty in time!
Books for kids who refuse to sit on the toilet
7. The Saddest Toilet in the World by Sam Apple
From the point of view of the toilet who leaves home when his little boy owner refuses to sit on him, this book adds a bit of levity to a stressful situation. When the character is finally ready to sit on the toilet the toilet is already gone! He and his family have to search high and low to find it.
8. Where’s the Poo? A Pooptastic Search and Find Book by Hachette Children’s Group
This search and find book is perfect to keep your child busy and distracted looking for poo while he is sitting on the potty. It looks similar to a “Where’s Waldo” style book except they are seeking for poo instead of Waldo!
9. Social Story: “I Can Push Out My Poos” and “I Can Wipe After Poos” by Melissa Yapp
These are free downloadable social stories that is printable and editable for both boys and girls and can be adapted to your child’s specific situation. You can have your child help create their own personal story or plan.
Books for picky eaters
Constipation and hard stools can be the result of picky or selective eating. Not getting enough fiber and water can cause stools to become dehydrated and hard, resulting in painful poops. These books are great ways to introduce new foods to your child and encourage them to include more produce into their day.
10. D.W. The Picky Eater by Marc Brown
The character D.W. is the pickiest eater! She also has some less than desirable behaviors like throwing food on the floor too! Does this sound like your kiddo? This book addresses both eating healthy foods as well as having good manners for mealtimes.
11. Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat
Gregory the Goat is the odd goat out because he loves to eat fruits and vegetables instead of old shoes! Grossed out, his parents take him to the doctor for help and Gregory finally starts eating proper goat food like bottle caps, but now he is eating everything! Great book about finding a balance between eating fun foods vs growing foods.
12. Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food & Nutrition by Lizzy Rockwell
Geared towards older kids, the guide is a nice introduction to nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins & minerals. It discusses how digestion works and includes recipes too!
13. I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
One of our favorites for kids who are hesitant to even try new foods. A story about Lola who is a very fussy eater whose brother helps her out by by renaming foods like carrots to orange twiglets from Jupiter in an effort to get her to try more foods.
14. Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks
This is a hilarious book about monsters who refuse to eat broccoli to relate to kids who don’t eat their vegetables. Their love for eating tractors and rocket ships trumps broccoli until they realize the tasty trees they are munching on look so similar to broccoli! Maybe vegetables are pretty good after all.
Books can be a great way to help normalize any of these topics for kids. The humor in these books can help kids and parents alike feel more comfortable talking about poop and toileting issues they are dealing with. Books are an easy tool that you can use in addition to your other strategies for addressing toileting issues such as withholding, constipation, and picky eating. For help finding other strategies for your child’s specific issues, join our private Facebook page here or connect with Annette and Jess here!
