Do you have a child who is getting ready to lose a tooth? These picture books will be just the ticket.
Our first selection is “Tabitha’s Terrifically Tough Tooth.” Tabitha likes to eat an apple every morning after breakfast, but today, it hurt. Her tooth was wobbly! Her dad told her about the Tooth Fairy, and she got very excited. She just had to lose that tooth. She spent all day coming up with new and creative ways to jiggle it out. First she turns on the radio and tries to dance it loose. Then she ties a string to her tooth, and ties the other end to her pet turtle. But he doesn’t walk fast enough to yank it out. She even jumped extra high on the trampoline, but that didn’t do it either. That was one tough tooth!
She even tries turning a Venus flytrap into a Venus toothtrap – no dice there, either. Finally she decides to give up. She must have the toughest tooth in the world. But then her nose starts to tickle – and she sneezes the tooth right out. It’s all a matter of timing! (This book was written and illustrated by Charlotte Middleton, and was published in 2000 by Penguin Putnam.)
Now let’s look at “Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth.” Written from the first person perspective of a little girl who is going into the first grade, this book is a funny look into what can happen when someone tells you a lie. On the bus the first day, a second grader tells our heroine to be careful, because Mrs. Watson is a three-hundred-year-old alien from another planet who needs baby teeth to survive. You should never tell Mrs. Watson you have a loose tooth! Well, our character does have one, and she spends the whole day with her mouth clamped tightly closed until another student announces they have a loose tooth. Opening her mouth to yell a warning, the tooth goes flying out, and she discovers that Mrs. Watson is a very nice teacher who just likes to give treats. (This book was written by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Harry Bliss, and was published in 2004 by Harcourt.)
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Mercer Mayer — the Man and His Books