Moo Does a Poo on the Loo
Moo is having far too much fun with Hen and Pig to think about the loo. Then she feels a little tickle in her tum — and this time, she notices it in time.
What the story does
Most toilet-learning wobbles at this age are not refusal. Children get absorbed in playing and simply miss the signal until it is too late.
So Moo's story puts the praise somewhere unusual: on the noticing. Hen and Pig cheer because Moo felt the tickle and knew what it meant — not because a poo arrived. That is the part a child can actually control, and the part worth building a habit around.
It rhymes, it is silly, and it ends with a line small children tend to chant back at you for weeks.
At a glance
- Ages 2–5
- Rhyming, read-aloud, around three minutes
- Nine story pages free online — the paperback adds a second story
- Written and illustrated by Simone Fenn
- Companion notes for grown-ups, with sources
poos go there too —
that's what Moo will always do.
Inside the book
Two stories, one paperback. Free online here, you get story one, “Moo Does a Poo on the Loo” — Moo almost forgets the loo while playing, then notices the tickle just in time. The paperback also includes a second story, “Oops-a-Daisy, Moo!”, about a little accident on a puddle-splashing day, met with kindness — and the tickle noticed in time the next day. The second story is print-only — it isn't on this site.
“Come and play!” they call to Moo.
“Quick!” says Moo. “I need the loo!”
“You felt the tickle — and you knew!”
You can also colour this very story as you read it. Click Read it free above, then tap Colour it in on the toolbar to turn each page into line art to colour on screen or print.
Free colouring book
A printable PDF of Moo's colouring pages is still to come — in the meantime, print “Colour Me In”, a free twelve-page colouring book starring Bo and Squeak.
Bring Moo home
A real paperback for the shelf, the car, or bedtime.
Not on Amazon quite yet. The paperback will have two stories: this one, plus “Oops-a-Daisy, Moo!”, which is print-only. Read the first story free on this site in the meantime, or get in touch and I'll let you know the moment the paperback is live.
For the grown-ups
The thinking behind Moo's story, and where the deeper reading lives.
Praise the noticing, not just the poo
In the story, Hen and Pig cheer, "You felt the tickle — and you knew!" That wording is deliberate. Guidance consistently recommends praising a child's effort and awareness — sitting, noticing, trying — rather than treating the poo itself as the prize, and specifically advises against treats or punishments, since both can crowd out a child's own motivation to learn the skill. [1][4]
Getting distracted isn't naughty
Moo forgets the loo because kites and friends are, quite reasonably, more interesting than a body signal that hasn't fully clicked into a habit yet. Building the cue into a routine — on waking, after meals, before going out, before bed — does more of the work than expecting a three- or four-year-old to always self-interrupt from something fun. [2]
When it doesn't go like Moo's story
Real toilet learning doesn't have a happy ending every time — accidents are a normal, expected part of it. Stay calm, clean up together without fuss, and treat it as practice rather than failure. [2][3] Frequent accidents returning after a child has been reliably dry for a while is worth mentioning to your GP, health visitor or public health nurse.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Potty Training: 12 Tips to Keep the Process Positive. HealthyChildren.org. healthychildren.org
- NHS. Potty training your child. NHS Best Start in Life. nhs.uk
- HSE. How to toilet train your child. Health Service Executive, Ireland. www2.hse.ie
- Baird DC, Bybel M, Kowalski AW. Toilet Training: Common Questions and Answers. American Family Physician. 2019;100(8):468–474. aafp.org