Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World

by Selby Beeler, G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)

Overview

What do you do when you lose a tooth? Delightful descriptions and cheerful art celebrate the surprising things that children do around the world when they lose a tooth.

When you lose a tooth, do you put it under your pillow and wait for the tooth fairy? In Botswana, children throw their teeth onto the roof. In Afghanistan they drop their teeth down mouse holes. From Egypt to Venezuela, Spain to Korea losing a tooth is an exciting milestone that’s honored with unique traditions. Discover the variety of customs from every corner of the globe in this charming picture book by Selby B. Beeler with whimsical illustrations by G. Brian Karas.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618152384
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/24/2001
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	242,990
Product dimensions:	10.31(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Selby B. Beeler first became interested in lost-tooth traditions in other countries when a friend from Brazil asked, "What's a Tooth Fairy?" Curious, Selby has been canvassing strangers ever since. This is her first book.

G. Brian Karas has illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Truman's Aunt Farm, by Jama Kim Rattigan, and Mr. Carey's Garden, by Jane Cutler.

Editorial Reviews

In Beeler's first book, children from familiar and remote countries on each continent explain what they do when they lose a tooth. The Tooth Fairy surfaces on several occasions; but for kids from a number of countries, she's replaced by a mouse, a squirrel or another critter. In other traditions, parents fashion jewelry from baby teeth, children wrap a tooth in a piece of food and feed it to an animal or throw their teeth on the roof. Since Beeler organizes her material by geographic region, some spreads featuring similar traditions of neighboring countries become redundant (e.g., Colombia, "I put my tooth under my pillow and wait for a mouse called El Raton Miguelito to take my tooth and leave money in its place," followed by Venezuela, "I put my tooth under my pillow. While I am asleep, a mouse will take the tooth and bring me some coins"). But the variety of customs across the globe compensates for any occasional similarities. Karas's (The Windy Day) cheerful cartoon art shows round-faced kids--many proudly displaying a gap in their smiles--dressed in native garb and often standing near an example of their local architecture. This book will be an eye-opener for young Americans who may have assumed that the Tooth Fairy holds a worldwide visa. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 1-4-This book describes a variety of rituals for the numerous occasions (usually 20) on which a child loses baby teeth. About a half-dozen countries in a broad geographic region are covered on each two-page spread. For each nation, an appealing youngster dressed in native attire provides one- or two-sentence summaries of local tooth customs. Other than in Germany (an alpine lass perfunctorily states, "I don't do anything special with my tooth") or Lithuania ("I keep my tooth as a keepsake"), children usually reap some benefit from their natural loss-fiscal and/or psychological. Proper baby-tooth disposal ensures a new, healthy, straight tooth and possible money or candy, good luck, health, or even a desirable career. Beliefs presented include the Anglo North American Tooth Fairy tradition; the Central and South American mythologies about El Raton (the mouse); contracts with chickens, the sun, "Mr. Moon," rats, or mice in Africa; and Eurasian exchanges with mice, crows, or squirrels. Also, some folks end up with tooth jewelry. A world map helps with the geography and a couple of appended dental diagrams give youngsters a simple oral overview. In the author's note, Beeler reveals her research techniques, which included everything from interviews on the street to worldwide correspondence. A fun comparative study for the tooth-losing crowd.-John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TX

School Library Journal

The demands on the tooth fairy are almost as strenuous as those on Santa, but she has some help, because, as Beeler tells it, the customs about teeth vary around the world. In Spain, a mouse spirits molars away, while in Korea the tooth gets tossed up on the roof. An author's note explains how Beeler canvased friends and strangers for their tooth traditions, many of which are similar; there's no attempt to root out the anthropological origins of any of the customs, which makes this a better browsing book than a resource for reports. Karas's illustrations, including his map, are deliberately lighthearted and make people the world over look uniformly friendly. A charming debut. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

"If children think a visit from the Tooth Fairy is the only way to trade in baby teeth, they're in for a surprise. Beeler's funny and intriguing sampling of lost-tooth traditions from around the world shows that teeth are every bit as likely to end up down a mouse hole, in the stomach of a dog, or on the roof of a house, as they are under a pillow. . . . Lots and lots of fun." Booklist, ALA

"The demands of the Tooth Fairy are almost as strenuous as those of Santa, but she has some help, because, as Beeler tells it, the customs about teeth vary around the world. . . . A charming debut." Kirkus Reviews

"This book describes a variety of rituals for the numerous occasions on which a child loses baby teeth. About a half-dozen countries in a broad geographic region are covered on each two-page spread. For each nation, an appealing youngster dressed in native attire provides one- or two-sentence summaries of local tooth customs. . . . A world map helps with the geography and a couple of appended dental diagrams give youngsters a simple oral overview. . . . A fun comparative study for the tooth-losing crowd." School Library Journal —

From the Publisher