A children’s picture book with rhyming verse that explains how brushing and flossing help the Tooth Fairy’s mission.

Kids around the country are expecting a visit from the Tooth Fairy, but they wake up to find no gifts beneath their pillows. Where could she have gone? No one seems to know; competing theories assert that she simply forgot to come, or ran out of money, or went on vacation. But the Tooth Fairy explains the reason for her absence in a letter asking kids to “Please try to remember / I’m only one fairy” and that “When teeth are not clean / they are harder to carry,” because plaque, food, and “sugar bugs” make them heavy. In response, the children vow to brush and floss regularly. In her second dental-oriented picture book, hygienist Grider links healthy habits to rewards in a kid-friendly, nonscolding way. The Tooth Fairy’s rationale for good dental care makes enough sense to make the lesson stick, and it’s helped by enjoyably skillful rhyme and meter. An accompanying activity section includes a word search, a missing-tooth diagram, and a chart to track brushing and flossing. The charming acrylic-paint illustrations by Morrison depict adorable kids of various skin colors and a pale-skinned fairy with blue-white hair.

A humorous tale that pleasantly encourages good dental habits.

A child’s active imagination demystifies a visit to the dentist.

In the first half of this delightful, reassuring, and informative picture book, a bouncy little girl with an upbeat attitude about her impending dental appointment envisions what it would be like if her dentist turned out to be an animal: “What if I arrive and / I’m greeted with a smile / by a zebra /or a bear / or a giant / crocodile?” Many picture books seek to allay a child’s anxieties about going to a dentist or doctor; this deft mix of verbal humor, amusing illustrations, and dental hygiene tips joins those that are a cut above the rest. In this series opener, Grider, a dental hygienist, offers effervescent rhymes tailored to each animal’s characteristics. (If the dentist were a turtle “green from head to toe! / I’d bring a book to pass the time. / A turtle’s always slow.”) Morrison’s polished acrylic images of animals and diverse humans contribute charm and winsome energy. After the girl imagines a menagerie (including an octopus, a kangaroo, a fish, a lion, a dinosaur, and a frog), she reassures readers that dentists are “someone just like you and me.” She lists her dentist’s advice for healthy teeth: regular brushing and flossing, good nutrition, and checkups. The work ends with a dental-themed puzzle page, a page for drawing, and weekly charts for keeping track of flossing and brushing.

Funny and anxiety-calming; a well-crafted addition to a helpful picture-book subgenre.