Loose teeth creep me out...

Samantha Loses Her Sweet Tooth
Written by Charlie Callahan, Illustrated by Brien Spanier
Picture Book ages 5-10
Rating: 4/5

Samantha has what adults call "a sweet tooth," but when it becomes loose, she has nightmares about losing her love for sweets and fears that she will start to love *gasp* vegetables!

Opinion:  Well-written and relatable, because most kids I know love sweets and despise vegetables, only for the label put on them as "yucky!" In preparation for her to lose her sweet tooth she practices eating vegetables and ironically, ends up liking them AND sweets at the end! Very colorful pictures that add energy and zest to the book, while the words "show" how Samantha is afraid of losing her tooth, instead of "tell." The dialogue, both internal and external, adds a lot to the story line.

Curriculum Connection:  This could tie into many different lessons. It could tie into a vocabulary lesson, such as a discussion on what a "sweet tooth" is and how there are phrases that people say that don't need to be taken literally, like Samantha did in this case. It could tie into science and nutrition, like naming the vegetables that she tries and why they are good for you. It is a fun enough book where it could also be a warm-up to get the kids going in the morning.