Tuck In Books

Getting familiar with the potty · Free read-aloud

A new little seat. A story at their pace.

Read a free, pressure-free potty story about asking a grown-up for help and trying at your own pace. Includes reading prompts and an editable book idea.

A grown-up read-aloud for toddlers and preschoolers; choose by interest. No sign-up needed.

Original bear family cast outdoors
Original cast artwork from the book creator. The free story below is text only.

A potty book can make the setting familiar

This free story introduces a potty, an available adult and asking for help. It does not prescribe when to start or promise a training schedule. Read it as a story, at a time your child wants to listen.

Choose a story without a countdown

Look for a character who can ask questions and have an ordinary day after trying. An accident does not turn Poppy into a bad character. For readiness, routines or concerns about toileting, use your pediatrician’s guidance and the resource below.

A complete free story to read together

Poppy’s Little Green Seat

An original Tuck In Books read-aloud story. Cast artwork from the creator is shown above; this free story is text only.

Poppy the panda found a little green seat beside the bathroom door. She put her toy duck on it. “A duck chair!” she said. Papa smiled. “It is your potty. Duck can have a look with us.” Poppy turned the seat around to see the back.

“Do I have to sit now?” Poppy asked. “We can look first,” Papa said. Poppy touched the smooth edge. She put Duck on the shelf nearby. There was a small towel, a place to wash paws and a grown-up she could ask for help.

Later, Poppy told Papa she wanted to try. He helped her in the bathroom and gave her privacy. Nothing happened that time. When she was finished, they washed their paws together. Duck was still on the shelf. Her puzzle was still on the rug.

Another day, Poppy was busy finding the last puzzle piece when her clothes got wet. She looked down. “Oh.” Papa brought clean clothes. “Let’s get you comfortable.” He helped her change. Poppy did not have to hide the wet clothes. She could ask for help.

At story time, Poppy chose a book about a duck who learned to open a gate. “He needed help with the latch,” she said. “He did,” said Papa. Poppy leaned against his arm. Their reading chair had room for the same familiar cuddle.

The little green seat stayed in the bathroom. Some days Poppy wanted to talk about it. Some days she wanted the duck book again. She was learning about something new, with Papa nearby. She could try, take her time and ask. Duck was a very patient watcher.

The End

Download the free story as text

Ask about the setting, not the result

Try, “Where would Duck wait?” Your child can point, invent a different helper or change the color of the seat. You do not need to turn the story into a request to use the potty right now.

Make the details familiar

A custom story could include your bathroom’s towel, a familiar handwashing song or the phrase your family uses for asking for help. Keep bodies and toileting offstage in the illustrations. Read the preview carefully before sharing it.

Before you read

Will this train my toddler in a few days?

No. It is fiction for shared reading, not a training program or a guarantee. Families can use it to talk about a familiar setting without setting a deadline.

Does it include accidents?

One pair of wet clothes is mentioned calmly. The adult helps Poppy get comfortable, and there is no punishment or teasing.

What if using the toilet hurts or my child is withholding?

A story cannot assess pain, constipation or withholding. Ask your pediatrician for individual guidance rather than using the story to push through discomfort.

Guidance beyond the story

The reading prompts are editorial suggestions. For broader parenting guidance, see:

About this story

Written by Tuck In Books for shared reading. The story is fiction; the reading prompts are not an individual assessment or treatment plan. Published 2026-10-03.