The Saddest Toilet in the World

by Sam Apple, Sam Ricks (Illustrator)

Overview

In a cheeky and hilarious picture book, author Sam Apple and illustrator Sam Ricks share a silly story about the potty-training experience…from the toilet’s point of view!

Danny would sit anywhere and everywhere: a comfy couch, a bean bag chair, his mom’s lap, a playground swing.

The one place Danny wouldn’t sit?

The toilet.

When the pain of rejection becomes too much, the toilet does what any self-respecting toilet would do: He leaves home.

In Sam Apple’s rollicking children’s book debut, with illustrations by Sam Ricks, it’s boy vs. bowl in a hilarious contest of wills.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481451222
Publisher:	Aladdin
Publication date:	06/07/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Sam Apple teaches creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of American Parent and Schlepping Through the Alps. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, the Financial Times Magazine, and the NewYorker.com, among many other publications. A native Texan, Apple now lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children: Isaac, Lila, and Nina.

Sam Ricks grew up creating stories about toxic fruitcakes and peanut butter–snatching aliens. He is the illustrator of several books for young readers, including The DATA Set series. Sam earned his BA from Brigham Young University and his MA from the University of Baltimore. He is a founding member of Cotopaxi: Gear For Good. He, his wife, and their five children live in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit Sam at SamRicks.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/28/2016
“I simply can’t go on like this.... It’s just too hurtful.” That’s a toilet talking, and he’s upset because Danny, who should be making the next big leap in toilet training, refuses to sit on him. Packing his bags and taking the plunger, the toilet hits the streets of New York City, making stops at a museum to contemplate Duchamp’s Fountain and Times Square, where he grumpily obliges some tourists with a photo. Danny, who has finally decided that he is ready, is in hot pursuit with his family; reunited, the toilet’s confidence is restored when Danny does the deed and notes—in a not-so-subtle nudge to readers—“That was fun!” Ricks’s (the Data Set series) bright digital cartoons land every big and small visual joke (note the Potsdam sticker on the toilet’s luggage) and together with newcomer Apple’s surprisingly tasteful text, the result is a mashup of toilet humor and self-esteem lit that’s as lemony fresh as a newly scrubbed bowl. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Minju Chang, Bookstop Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

A hilarious story of toilet training that will make you laugh out loud!

June, 2016 - Houston Family Magazine

A "laugh-out-loud respite from charts, rewards, and accidents. ...Reluctant potty-goers might be encouraged to hit the head after this ridiculous adventure."

June 20, 2016 - Horn Book

2016-03-02
Feeling hurt because young Danny refuses to sit on it, a toilet heads for…browner pastures. Danny will happily sit on chairs and sofas, but the commode makes him anxious. Considerably bummed ("He hates me"), said fixture at last packs its plunger and departs—the very night before Danny decides it's finally time. As the toilet leisurely takes in a movie, visits an art museum, and poses for photos with tourists, Danny and his mom set off on a frantic search through "all the wrong places" (port-a-potties and public restrooms) before sighting their quarry at last on the subway to (where else) Flushing Meadows. Reconciliation ensues, differences are papered over, and one reminder to flush later, the whole family (toilet included) rushes away to celebrate. Ricks endows his angst-y porcelain protagonist with anthropomorphic facial features and deposits it and Danny's family in a New York(ish) setting splashed with suggestive ads ("Feeling Drained?") and signage. Danny and his mom have red hair and pale skin, while Danny's dad has black hair and somewhat darker skin. Aside from the visual innuendo, there is nary a whiff of what might be going into the toilet (nor any mention of urination), and the focus seems to be more on alienation issues than excretory give and take. Still, the episode may give children who share Danny's anxiety a handle on their feelings. How many toilet-training manuals take the toilet's side? (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews