Open Wide

April 7, 2003

Dr. Flossman welcomes his 32 students,—eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, and 12 molars—to class. "Many of the book's abundant puns and asides are delivered by the teeth themselves," said PW. Ages 5-10.

May 1, 2000
Dr. Flossman welcomes his 32 students--eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars and 12 molars--to class at the start of Keller's (The Scrambled States of America) disappointingly flat lesson on tooth care and trivia. While, in her first book, the states themselves delivered the facts in fun-filled chatty exchanges, here the teacher drills into his anthropomorphic pupils a smattering of tooth truths, including the physical composition of teeth, the function of primary teeth, causes of tooth decay and the importance of dental hygiene. The bulk of the narrative is silly filler (for instance, a funky-looking tooth fairy pays a visit to the school and complains that she sometimes almost suffocates trying to retrieve teeth from under pillows). The book's abundant puns and asides, many delivered by the teeth themselves, may elicit as many groans as giggles from readers. One of the standout spreads, the penultimate, highlights facts about teeth during the times of the Ancient Egyptians through to George Washington. Though the book's cluttered, quirky art is at its best in comical scenarios of ambulatory teeth in the cafeteria and at recess, the visual humor, like that of the narrative, lacks the incisive bite of Keller's earlier book. Ages 5-10.

Starred review from May 1, 2000
Gr 1-4-This wacky book about dental hygiene begins with Dr. Flossman teaching his class, a set of personified teeth sitting at their desks looking "clean" and "bright." After the pledge of allegiance "-to this mouth and to the dentist who takes care of us," attendance is taken, and each tooth is named and identified. The teacher lectures about the parts of a tooth, primary vs. permanent teeth, and even the Tooth Fairy. Then the class is divided into groups: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars, for lunch. Following a lesson about tooth decay, reports on "teeth throughout history" are presented. Then the bell rings, signaling the end of the day. Students are advised to "rinse, gargle, and spit in a cup!-And don't forget to brush!" as they run haphazardly from the room. Two short-answer quizzes about the lesson are appended. The language and humor are somewhat sophisticated, but most youngsters will get a good laugh from a day in "Tooth School." The busy layout features lots of appealing color and animation rendered in acrylics, colored pencils, markers, and collage. Alice McGinty's Staying Healthy: Dental Care (Rosen, 1997) is a more straightforward and serious approach to the subject. For a truly painless, lighthearted look at the subject, open Open Wide and smile.-Elizabeth Maggio, Palos Verdes Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2000
Gr. 2^-4, younger for reading aloud. Using the same hilarious collage format she used in her popular "The Scrambled States of America" (1998), Keller presents dental basics through an imagined day at Tooth School. On wildly busy pages filled with facts and comical asides, Dr. Flossman and his 32 young pupils (representing the appropriate break down of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars) explore tooth decay and care, using creative devices such as student book reports to deliver the facts and some fiction (a video about Toothland, The Tooth Fairy's amusement park, for example). There's plenty of information, cleverly woven into laugh-out-loud humor for all ages: pictures of Dracula (before and after braces) for younger children; meditation and self-help humor for older ones; in-jokes for adults. Silly quizzes review the text ("Tooth decay is caused by: a) bacteria and germs; b) slugs and worms; c) bad perms"). The chaos of the book's full-page spreads perfectly captures the manic energy of a school day, and will leave kids giggling and ready to learn more. ((Reviewed May 1, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)