Riley's Lost Tooth by Hardcover

I had the opportunity to review Dianne's earlier book, "Good Bye Baby Max" and when the author asked me whether I would be interested in reviewing the present book, I was very happy.

The book is colorfully illustrated and the story is simple but delightful. Riley, a 5 year old girl loses her first tooth. When she shares that news with her grandma, the pups in the house get worried and start searching for the lost tooth. They get exhausted in the process but fail to locate the tooth and are worried for their friend Riley. A tooth fairy appears and assures them that it is a natural process and Riley will in fact get a regular, permanent tooth in its place.

The story is told in simple sentences and it would be a pleasure for the child to read or for the parents to read. One sample:

"We must find her tooth.
She was here earlier today,
maybe she lost it
when we all went out to play."

Now see this from the tooth fairy:

No, really," she said,
"all children lose their teeth.
Permanent ones then grow in
if they don't eat too many sweets."

The book is well written and the illustrations are beautiful. The book will definitely appeal to all children (including children at heart like this reviewer) and their parents / grandparents / elder siblings and other care givers.

The book is strongly recommended as a good gift that is educational and also entertaining.

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Lost Tooth and Growing up!, November 30, -0001
By Naila Moon

This is the story of three little puppies who do not understand the nuances of being human and hitting milestones as one grows up.

Riley's puppy, Sunday, gets very upset when Riley has lost a tooth and gets two other puppies involved to help find the tooth. They do what dogs would do by digging in the yard, the trash and the couch to no avail.

They then encounter the tooth fairy, whom they have never heard of who shows them that Riley is growing up and for her to lose a tooth is a joyful thing for her.
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Once again, the author writes this little gem of a picture book in complete rhyme, which is the genius of what she does. The illustrator, Heather Castles lends her art work in colorful pictures that add to the wonder.

One of the things I really love about this particular book is that the little girl Riley comes from a bi-racial family. This promotion of different kinds of families I think is important for all children to know.

Diane Cantrell has an additional page in the back of the book that can help families to discuss things like celebrating milestones, acceptance of diversity, and healthy habits.

This book won the Mom's Choice Award for excellence and is target for children 5 years old and up.

I give the book 5 stars.

~Naila Moon

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for my open and honest review. The view expressed here is 100% my own and my differ from yours

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Wonderful and whimsical story for children losing their first tooth, November 30, -0001
By Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Is there anything more adorable than your child’s big gap-tooth smile? My son is missing some of his front teeth and when I gaze upon his smile… well, it makes me smile!! Diane Cantrell wrote Riley’s Lost Tooth for her granddaughter as a Valentine’s Day present. I wonder if the real life Riley was warming hearts with her own gap-tooth smile? Hmm….

In the story, Riley loses her first tooth and is so excited to share this news with her family (including her loving grandparents!) Upon overhearing that their favorite little girl has “lost” her tooth, Riley’s faithful pooches – Sunday, Precious, and Mr. Lee – make it their mission to track down and return the wayward tooth to Riley. After looking high and low, they give up their search, when out of nowhere appears the Tooth Fairy who explains what it means when a child loses their tooth.

My kids and I really enjoyed Riley’s Lost Tooth,told in rhyming verse and using beautiful watercolor illustrations. The dogs were adorable in their misguided mission and there were some very funny parts. For example, we all laughed when the dogs get angry at the Tooth Fairy when she tells them she has Riley’s tooth. I really thought it was a clever spin telling the story from the dog’s (uninformed) perspective. The story goes on to explain what it is the Tooth Fairy does when a child loses a tooth; so it reinforces the magic of this special rite of passage for children. I think this is a perfect book to share with children who are just beginning to lose their teeth. Ages 3+

* This book was provided to me by the author free-of-charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. *

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