Two Front Teeth

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-- School Library Journal, 5/14/2008 1:13:00 PM

More evidence than ever before points to the positive effects of good dental health on the whole body. Kids need to acquire good tooth-care habits as early as possible, and the titles below will help drive home the importance of brushing, flossing, and diet. Supplement these with educational games and animations available online in Spanish and English from the American Dental Association.

BEELER, Selby. Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World. illus. by G. Brian Karas. Houghton. 1998. Tr $16. ISBN 978-0-395-89108-7; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-618-15238-4.
K-Gr 3–This book is for every youngster who has ever gone to bed minus one tooth. Circling the globe, Beeler explains local traditions from a dozen regions of the world, which include making a pendant from the tooth, leaving it in a slipper, or placing it inside a growing tree. Karas’s gently rendered illustrations demonstrate these toothy activities to a tee, and a brief appendix provides tooth vocabulary and diagrams.

CHANDRA, Deborah & Madeleine Comora. George Washington’s Teeth. illus. by Brock Cole. Farrar. 2003. Tr $16. ISBN 978-0-374-32534-3. 
K-Gr 4–Poor George Washington! Even as he crossed the Delaware on that fateful Christmas Eve, his teeth were falling out. Told in delightful rhyme, this story will have young readers and listeners counting down to our first president’s last tooth. Not willing to be “toofless,” George helps his dentist design a new set of chompers made of hippo tusk that do the trick. A bibliography is included, as is a fascinating time line of events as noted in Washington’s letters and diaries.

CHILD, Lauren. My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Never Fall Out. illus. by author. Grosset & Dunlap. 2006. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-448-44255-6. 
PreS-Gr 2–Lola does not, absolutely does not want her tooth to fall out—until her big brother Charlie tips her off about the tooth fairy! When it finally does come out, Lola loses it and worries that the tooth fairy won’t visit. Charlie comes through with great advice that will leave youngsters smiling.

DIAKITE, Penda. I Lost My Tooth in Africa. illus. by Baba Wague Diakite. Scholastic. 2006. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-439-66226-0. 
K-Gr 4–This story recounts young Amina’s adventure of her visit to Mali where she loses her tooth. Readers will feel as rewarded as she does when the promised chicken appears and she sees its eggs hatch into chicks before heading back to the United States. The ceramic tile illustrations depicting scenes from African village life are full of warmth and detail.

KELLER, Laurie. Open Wide: Tooth School Inside. illus. by author. Holt. 2000. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-8050-6192-5. 
Gr 1-4–Both kids and grown-ups who split their sides reading Keller’s The Scrambled States of America (Holt, 1998) will get the giggles again while reading this homage to the 32 inhabitants of the oral cavity. Dr. Flossman deftly guides readers through the wonders of enamel, dentin, and pulp, while his dental assistants wisecrack and heckle from the margins of the pages. Use the silly quizzes near the end to inspire students to come up with their own toothy tests.

Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors at NoveList, the leader in readers' advisory electronic resources. For more information, visit NoveList.