Andrew's Loose Tooth

Christine Linge is a past director of the Toronto & District Parent
Co-operative Preschool Corporation, a freelance writer, and a bookseller
specializing in children’s literature.

Poor Andrew: chomping down on an apple makes him yowl, “Mommy, Mommy!
Do something about this tooth. It hurts so much I can’t even eat my
apple.” Mommy can’t pull it out by hand and recommends another apple
to loosen it. Andrew’s father breaks his pliers trying to pull it out.
Another apple brings only more cries of anguish. The dentist ties
Andrew’s tooth to the back of his car, which is destroyed in the
ensuing tug-of-war. Even the Tooth Fairy is defeated by Andrew’s
deeply rooted problem. Finally, Andrew’s friend Louis comes up with a
solution—a dash of pepper causes Andrew to sneeze his tooth clear
across town, with the Tooth Fairy in hot pursuit.

Munsch and Martchenko have again produced a lively, entertaining book
on a subject close to the heart of all primary-age kids. Unlike many
other Munsch stories, this one’s slender plot delivers no useful
lesson. But Munsch’s use of repetitive phrases and plot developments
allow the audience to join in on the fun. His text is complemented
perfectly by Martchenko’s brilliant high-energy watercolors, detailed
tableaux, and friendly-but-bizarre characters (who else would envision
the Tooth Fairy on a motorcycle, sporting a tooth necklace, and
dental-design leathers?). Together they’ve delivered a uniquely
successful brand of silliness. Recommended.