Loose Tooth: A Funny and Reassuring Picture Book About Losing Teeth for Children (Ages 4-8)

by Lola M. Schaefer, Sylvie Wickstrom (Illustrator)

A funny and reassuring My First I Can Read Book about a child's first loose tooth. A young boy wakes up one morning to find that he has his very first loose tooth. But no matter how much he pushes, pulls, and wiggles it, it just won't come out. This is the perfect book for young readers who are excited (but maybe a little worried as well) about their loose tooth.  Energetic and engaging, this simple story is just right for the youngest beginning readers. Loose Tooth  is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child. Books at this level feature basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers. The active, engaging stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Kids

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Lola M. Schaefer is an educator, writer, and gardener, and the author of many acclaimed books for children about math, art, science, technology, animals, and nature. She uses shovels, hoes, rakes, and scissors when she works in her garden. Lola M. Shaefer grew up in Indiana, and now lives in northern Georgia.

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book; I spent the whole time imagining this kid bursting into song about his tooth.

[Nathália · Rating 4 out of 5]

É o tipo de livro que parece bobinho pra um adolescente ou adulto, mas quem convive com criança vê toda a graça dele.

Como sou professora, toda semana recebo alunos me mostrando os dentes moles ou q acabaram de cair (na sala, inclusive), por isso achei este aqui super fofo e deu vontade de lê-lo com as crianças na escola.

O legal de livro infantil é isto. Sempre com ótimas ilustrações e mostrando (ou relembrando) emoções que você já passou ou vai passar.

[Aniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lindas ilustrações e uma história simples, rápida e que todos nós já passamos. Acessível de ler para quem está aprendendo inglês.

[Billy Noecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every beginning reader has experienced a loose tooth. This book is a cute little story about a boy who has a loose tooth. He tries different things to get it out, but nothing works. So his family offers to help in different ways, but eventually it falls out on its own. Very easy to read, and appropriate for young readers in kindergarten or first grade.

[Kathryn Jaeger]

This book is part of "My First, I Can Read Book" series. The is a fun book as it discusses something that the reader is probably going through or knows about. Kids get excited about having a loose tooth and showing everyone.

[Gela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homework for the little one. She liked it😊👍🏼

[rockerduh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for my five year old. Loved since he’s just lost his first tooth.

[Denise Schlachtaub · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, but cute book about losing a tooth. Good for preschoolers.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Children deserve books with beautiful illustrations. This book didn't have that. Too bad. The story line was nice. I'd skip it. There are to many other beautiful children's books to read.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute book

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute puppy! Is it a stuffed animal or a real dog?

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kid needs to lose a tooth and I was hoping for some ideas. Haha

[Jessie Bear · Rating 3 out of 5]

The protagonist proudly declares his tooth is loose, wiggles the tooth, and then it falls out. This “I Can Read Book” is successfully formatted for the early reader. Most of the sentences are between two to five words, and one of the longer sentences joined by a conjunction is spread over two pages. The font is appropriately sized, and the only longer sentence is on the last page of the book, which reads, “Now there’s a hole where my tooth used to be.” The repetitive declaration, “It’s loose. It’s loose. My tooth is loose.” sets the pacing of the text, which also employs a rhyme scheme to assist early readers through the more varied portion of the narrative. The subject matter at hand is also appropriate for the book’s audience, who can probably currently relate to this experience. The cartoon-like illustrations are adequate, and accurately correspond to the text they accompany. Overall this book is satisfactory, although perhaps not memorable, and would be a decent stepping stone on the pathway to literacy. Recommended for children ages 5-7.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOOSE TOOTH is a fun little book for children who are reading at the Kindergarten level.

The story is about a boy who wakes up one morning to find that his tooth is loose. He's excited the same way that my children were when they were little. Bouncing around with energy. He says:

I can see it.
I can feel it.
I can pull it.
I can push it.

But it won't come out!

(text from 3 pages)

The boy gleefully shows everyone, and then he tries to eat carrots and other hard foods hoping it will come out. His brother (who's a scoundrel) even offers to pull it out --with huge pliers!

The artwork in LOOSE TOOTH is very appealing, as is the text. I don't know about your children but mine were fascinated with the whole tooth replacement phenomena. And Schaefer's book is a fun one to share.


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if you need precise reading info, or would like to see sample pages you can find them here on this list about loose teeth: http://goodbooksforkids-lists.blogspo...

[Sharlene Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any kid going through the process of loosing their teeth can appreciate this book. It is a first level book. It has very short sentences. There are also a lot of action words which makes it a good book to use when teaching verbs.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young boy fidgets with his loose tooth; shows everyone. Dad gets the pliers. Simple watercolor pics and simple words. My First: I Can Read Book

[Tate Rytky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and easy, but relevant. : )

[Felicity The Magnificent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to give it five stars because it's a funny book. The tooth was loose and it came out. -Felicity

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Practice: used for practice.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always have to remember that an early readers reads in a certain style because it is just that "an early reader". This one is fun given the nature of the topic and the style of book.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read to your students, because it is very relatable! This is a great book to start a writing conversation or to allow them to write in their journals about their own experience.

[Ms. Landrum's Class · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like This because it shows me how to keep my Tooth.

DF

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief story just right for young ones to show the excitement related to the loss of a child's first tooth.

[Ck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny story of a boy who has a loose tooth. The illustrations are great! I like that he was showing his dog, his loose tooth.

[Julier]

[Junior Library Guild Selection]"My First: I Can Read Book" series. Rhymes. Bold illustrations.

[Julie Hetu]

Title: Loose Tooth
Author: Lola M. Schaefer
Illustrator: Sylvie Wickstrom
Genre: Early Reader
Theme: teeth, dental
Opening line/sentence:
It’s loose. It’s loose.
Brief Book Summary:
A little boy wakes up one morning and realizes that his tooth is loose. He tries many different things to get his tooth out. After many tries, he finally gets his tooth out and looks at the hole that is left in his mouth.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 8)) 
Losing that first tiny tooth is a huge event in the life of a child, celebrated here in this beginning easy reader from the I Can Read series. A little boy with curly blond hair is the first-person narrator, describing the condition of his loose toothand his attempts to dislodge the tooth through wiggling and eating. The rhyming text is simple but clever, told in very short sentences with repeating sentence patterns and a catchy refrain. Wickstrom's loose watercolors with thick outlines provide additional humor, with distinctly different looks for each member of the boy's family. While this entry works well as a beginning easy reader, it will also be popular in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms as a read-aloud and will fit right in to story hours with dental themes.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Susan Borges (Children's Literature ) 
This lively, whimsical story is about a young boy who wiggles and jiggles his first tooth loose. Throughout the story his sister, brother, Mother, and Father offer suggestions on how to help. The colorful illustrations, predictable text, and use of rhyming words make this story ideal for emergent and new readers. The simple text and high-interest subject will appeal to young readers, and the short sentences and familiar words make this story accessible for shared reading in the classroom setting. Teachers will be glad to have this small, appealing-realistic fiction in their classroom libraries and children will enjoy owning this delightful little book to read over and over again. This title is part of the I Can Read series of books and it is included in the first category of titles which are written specifically for emergent readers
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Both reviews mention the idea that this book is appealing to emergent readers as well as addresses the idea that children have to deal with losing their teeth. The first review mentions the fact that the humorous watercolors that are used for illustrations is appealing to young readers.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
Even though a simple plot, this text is appealing to young readers due to the fact of short sentences and few words. This book is written specifically for emergent readers and the text shows this. The illustrations are also appealing to young readers and allow children to read this book with ease.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
Children can recall their first loose tooth and create an illustration that describes how they lost their first tooth. Under the illustration, children can write and describe how it happened to them.