On Your Potty

From Publishers Weekly Bartholomew is a small bear with a fondness for responding "Nah" to any question posed by George, a much larger bear. But George won't take "Nah" for an answer when he asks Bartholomew if he needs to use his potty. "On your potty!" roars the big bruin, and Bartholomew obeys. But after he sits and sits with no results, he wanders outdoors to play. Suddenly the little fellow realizes he needs to be on his potty, so he races inside and uses it successfully. George rewards his pal with a giant bear hug. Although Bartholomew displays an enchanting array of facial expressions--and strikes a number of endearing Pooh-like poses--Miller's sketchy illustrations are repetitious and feature rather bland colors. Overall, a slim addition to the heavily laden shelf of potty-training books. Ages 2-up. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal PreSchool-- Two bears, one large and one small, tackle toilet training. Little Bartholomew is a contrary toddler who answers "Nah" to everything, including the question,"Do you need your potty?" When big George uses his big voice to say "On your potty!" Bartholomew tries to no avail. Sent out to play, he suddenly realizes it's time. He races in--success! A big hug from George is his reward. Simple text makes the story appropriate for very young children; the bare-bones approach will probably require some additional explanation. The illustrations steal the show; charcoal-and-watercolor drawings are endearing without being saccharine. Bartholomew is the most appealing little bear outside fabric-softener ads. Facial expressions convey volumes; the sequence showing him on his potty is particularly true to life. This is a brief, low-key approach to the subject; for a more thorough treatment, try Joanna Cole's Your New Potty (Morrow, 1989.) --Lucy Young Clem, Evansville Vanderburgh County Public Library, INCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.