Pocket Snails Potty Adventure is a 30-minute DVD designed to help young children understand the potty training steps. It includes a Potty Steps Map on sturdy, full-color, glossy cardstock that fits neatly into the DVD case. The program goes over each step in the process of using a training potty--from noticing the need to use the bathroom to washing hands at completion. Extra features include two additional scenes (one for Encouragement and one for Congratulations), a link to the Potty Chart Download, a Blooper Reel, and the songs in a sing-along format with words listed at the bottom and highlighted as they are sung.

The Pocket Snails (Gordon, Dale, and Buttons) live in the pocket of a little boy named Jake, who is old enough to use the potty. Jake's sister, Wendy, is just beginning potty training. In an effort to support Jake in helping his sister, the snails embark on a mission to take pictures for Wendy so that she can understand the steps involved in using the potty. No private parts are shown, and the video offers several terms that might be used to signify bodily functions before clarifying that the show will consistently use "pee" and "poop." The snails do magically make things appear and get larger at will with the help of some sparkles and their shells, which seem to double as storage. The snails speak with a notable English accent that is absolutely mesmerizing and brought some of the Wiggles characters to mind.

There are so many DVDs available for preschoolers today, but I do believe this is the first I have seen regarding potty training. The Pocket Snails are a fun group of friendly, playful pets children will easily relate to. There is no pressure for the viewer to begin potty training, only a story about a little girl who is going to learn and a little boy who already has learned how to use the potty. The original sing-along songs are very upbeat and easy to sing. As a form of encouragement, we will be singing the song "Goodbye Diapers, Goodbye" quite a bit around our home. The program is thorough enough to comment that a grown-up will flush the waste away. It even presents the options of using a soap pump or bar of soap for washing. The extras on the DVD are excellent, especially the hilarious set of "bloopers." A "game" reiterates the steps in the process and offers very funny choices: do you pull up your underwear or put on your shoes? My 8-year-old was giggling through much of the program, and it wasn't because of the potty subject matter. It was the hilarious characters and very creative presentation.

The Potty Steps Map portrays a boy, which was great for our son. I think an optional girl version of the Potty Steps Map would be wonderful. No nudity is presented in any form; although boy-style underwear is portrayed, sitting is the only position illustrated. One of the songs is worded "You dont need a diaper no more." We wish they had used the word any instead of no. Otherwise, we thoroughly enjoyed this program and were surprised at how much it helped our son understand the entire process. I wish we'd had this program a few years ago when potty-training our autistic son, as it is incredibly visual while being very thorough.

Pocket Snails DVDs have won numerous awards in recent years, and we welcome their contribution. Pocket Snails Potty Adventure is a tremendously amusing program that we have watched repeatedly. The fact that my son closely resembles Jake in the program certainly helped him gain interest at the start, but those adorable snails captured his heart very quickly once he began watching. The process of potty training is often a difficult one, and this DVD offers a great way to help parents gradually interest their children in the mastering of a necessary skill. Our family is excited to view the other programs offered by Soaring Star Productions and their wonderful little Pocket Snails.

Product review by Donna Campos, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2008