As all parents know, potty training a child is not easy. There can be tantrums, messes, and the lurking fear that your family will never get through it.
So what happens when Ross Burach—the hilarious author/illustrator of Truck Full of Ducks, The Very Impatient Caterpillar, and Hi-Five Animals! and the father of a two-year-old and a four-year-old—takes on the topic? Potty All-Star, a laugh-out-loud romp with a basketball twist that encourages little ones to get out of diapers and into the game!
Below, read our interview with Ross about the concept for the Potty All-Star, potty-training his own daughter, and why a funny book can help families get through a stressful time. To learn more about Potty All-Star and Ross’s other books, click here.
Why a basketball themed potty training book?
Great question! I LOVE basketball. I’ve been playing since I was in diapers. When my wife and I started getting ready to potty train our daughter, I kept making these basketball themed motivational references. I could not believe how many similarities there were between the two.
So, I started brainstorming and sketching out ideas. In a basketball game if you miss a shot, you become hesitant to try again. And that is how I imagine a child must feel when potty training. But you can’t give up. You have to keep practicing and keep taking the shot.
Plus…as soon as I realized the basketball hoop and the toilet are basically the same shape, I knew I wanted to make this book.
Do you think a humorous book can help during stressful parenting moments?
Yes! Kids don’t come with an instruction manual, and parents face so many situations that combine frustration and humor. But, you just have to laugh. I wanted to make a light-hearted book with a positive motivational attitude to make the potty-training process more fun for kids and adults.
What other lesson do you hope children and parents get from this book?
1: Celebrate! Learning to use the potty is a BIG first step towards independence for children, and it should be celebrated. Kids are just as proud in their moment of accomplishment as a great sports hero making a game winning play on the biggest stage.
2: Keep practicing! Potty training takes a lot of practice and each kid will learn at their own pace. I want this book to let them know that that’s okay. And to keep practicing. Eventually, they will become a Potty All-Star!
