Tooth by Tooth

January 1, 2016

K-Gr 3-An engaging text invites readers to open wide and look in the mirror to see their three types of teeth (and maybe a bit of food, as in some of the illustrations). Big-headed cartoon kids are depicted with animal teeth in their giant, teeth-filled mouths, and the author asks questions such as "What kind of mammal would you be if your top and bottom canine teeth curled up out of your mouth so you had two pairs of tusks?" The following page provides answers. Readers also find out that horses, cows, and giraffes have really tall molars, as do sheep, goats, llamas, antelopes, deer, and zebras. Readers won't want to stop until they reach the last tooth. A brief overview of fish, amphibian, and reptile teeth complements the information on mammal teeth. VERDICT Playful and laugh-out-loud funny, this informative picture book belongs in every dentist office and library.-Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
Adopting an interactive, question-and-answer approach, Levine introduces children to common characteristics and variations in the teeth of mammals. Directly addressing readers, the author invites them to identify the three types of mammal teeth (incisors, canines, and molars) by looking into a mirror. "Do you see the flat teeth in front? Those are your incisors. If you haven't lost any recently, you should have four on top and four on the bottom. How many do you have?" Next, Levine asks readers to guess which kind of mammal they'd be if they sported particular types of teeth--for example, "if you had really long canines?" A page turn delivers an answer, capitalized exuberantly: "A SEAL OR A CAT OR A DOG OR A BEAR!" (Asterisked footnotes often add additional examples.) Spookytooth's flat, stylized, presumably digitally composed pictures incorporate textures of watercolor and wood, using shadows to suggest depth and dimension. Two girls and two boys with differing skin colors hilariously embody Levine's "what ifs," modeling everything from a beaver's protruding incisors to the tusks of the elephant, walrus, warthog, and narwhal. Levine points out specific adaptations in the teeth of meat eaters, herbivores, and omnivores and devotes a few pages to the mainly undifferentiated teeth of nonmammals. As they did in Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons, Levine and Spookytooth successfully combine science fact, interactive fun, and giggle-inducing pictures. (additional facts, glossary, bibliography, Web resources) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

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January 1, 2016
Grades 1-4 A guessing game meets zoological dentistry in this informational picture book. Facts are on every page, starting at the beginning, with an introduction to types of human teeth. From there, the narrator invites readers to guess what type of mammal they'd be if, for example, your top canine teeth grew almost all the way down to your feet. A page turn reveals the answer: A walrus! The mammals range from the easily guessed, like an elephant, to the more obscure, such as the pangolin, which has no teeth at all. With playful text and a kid-friendly approach, this title's cleverest part is the reinforcement of toothcabulary: kids will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of the difference between incisors, canines, and molars. Spookytooth's full-color, collage-like illustrations show off a diverse group of kids with round, expressive faces and, of course, wide toothy smiles that, though maybe a bit unsettling when packed with animal chompers, will surely elicit some giggles. A great addition to any library where animal books are popularso, almost all of them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
This examination begins by looking at the functions of human teeth. The discussion moves on to mammals' exaggerated incisors, canines, and molars. The humorous cartoon illustrations feature kids with tusks, large canines, and extra-high molars, emphasizing that animals' diets require different types of teeth. This is an amusing and informative source for elementary-age readers. Reading list, websites. Glos.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)