Arthur's tooth

Brown's forte is amusing and educating small fry on dealing with emergencies. Every boy and girl who has suffered the indignity of a stubborn baby tooth will feel for poor Arthur. Alone among his animals friends, he can't force his first tooth to fall. Neither steak, corn on the cob, peanut brittle nor any stern measure works on the thing. And here's Muffy with a whole jar of teeth at show-and-tell time; she's collected two dollars for each! Arthur mopes as his peers show off the gaps in their mouths. But in the end, he can smile as widely as the other kids. Thanks to an encounter with mean Francine, Arthur winds up with the tooth in his paw, ready for the fairy to trade something of value for it. Brightly colored cartoons of the active anthropomorphs illustrate the story, sure to be enjoyed as much as its nine predecessors. (68) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

PreS-Gr 3 Arthur faces the same kind of physical dilemma solved in Arthur's Eyes (1979) and Arthur's Nose (1976, both Atlantic: Little). This time he is the only one in his class who hasn't lost a baby tooth. (Arthur and the others are back in Mr. Marco's room, and they obviously are younger than they have been in recent adventures.) Despite his attempts to wiggle his front tooth loose, Arthur is unsuccessfuldespite suggestions from Buster, Sue Ellen, Binky Barnes and other familiar characters. A reassuring visit to the dentist followed by some accidental help from Francine solve the problem. Brown's droll humor helps reassure those who find themselves in Arthur's predicament. The illustrations are bright and lively, contributing to a book certain to please Arthur's many fans. Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, Minn. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.