Buck's Tooth

Product Description:


Chuckle your way through this easy-to-read illustrated chapter book about a big-toothed beaver who learns the importance of self-acceptance. All beavers have flat tails and furry coats. Most beavers have two front teeth. And then there's Buck. Unlike the rest of his family, he has one gigantic front tooth—and he hates it! His tooth ruins everything for him, especially the Annual Talent Show. Whatever Buck tries to do for the contest—whistle, walk on stilts, blow bubbles—his tooth gets in the way. Can Buck learn to embrace his inner tooth?

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Engaging book for young readers, May 13, 2015
By Kathleen Ritter

Children will want to touch Diane Kredensor’s charming, cartoon-like digital illustrations on the irresistibly shiny paper of this book. The story is written in easy words for beginning readers. Buck the beaver has two problems: he is self-conscious about his big front tooth that gets in the way whenever he tries to do something and he doesn’t have a talent for the annual talent show in Beaverton. Buck’s friends and family help him to eventually find his special talent and accept himself the way he is.

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The Tooth, the Whole Tooth, Nothing But the Tooth, May 12, 2015
By Pause and Reflect

You know, bottom line, if you like the looks of the characters and if the story/message isn't too odd, weird, or heavy-handed, you've probably got a winner of an easy reader picture book. I thought this book, judged against that scale, was a big winner.

Buck the beaver has one humongous tooth instead of two regular big beaver teeth. It gets in the way and it makes him self-conscious. It also frustrates his attempts to develop a talent for the local forest talent show. (Watch him try to play the flute.) You can probably figure out the arc of the story and the message here as Buck searches for his special talent, so it's probably not a SPOILER to reassure you that all ends happily.

The real question is whether we have fun getting to that happy resolution. Well, Buck's a pretty appealing guy. His friends, (like Pearl the bird and Marvin the rabbit), are supportive and rally-round types, so the vibe is upbeat and cheerful even as Buck grows frustrated. The book doesn't get gloomy or angsty. The message isn't hammered home. The whole project is lighter and more cheerful than that.

And that story is carried well by spare but colorful drawings that have a lot of personality and energy. It's easy for a little reader/listener to follow what's going on, but there are some laughs and funny bits of business tucked into the drawings. The same is true for the writing. Short, punchy, direct sentences briskly and clearly tell the story.

And there are no false steps. No bully arrives out of nowhere. No awkward side messages or sourness or irony. This is just a straight up fun tale about a nice guy beaver and his pals. That works for me.

Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

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