ALA Booklist (Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 1998)

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. Written as first-person statements, the customs, identified by country, are accompanied by a small illustration in which Karas attempts to capture some distinctive feature of the area--koalas in Australia, the Eiffel Tower in France, a thatched-roof dwelling in Cameroon. The artwork doesn't always achieve the goal, but it's consistently lively and comical. For children curious about teeth in general, Beeler has rounded up some basic facts to which Karas has added a nicely captioned picture of a mouth opened to reveal a stunning array of pearly whites. Lots and lots of fun. (Reviewed July 1998)

Horn Book

Short descriptions of the folkloric customs practiced in different cultures when a child loses a baby tooth are accompanied by cheerful cartoons depicting a youngster in traditional garb with some indication of the local housing type. Readers are sure to pick up some interesting information, and the premise is lively and fun, if not much more.

Kirkus Reviews

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)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Children from countries on each continent explain what they do when they lose a tooth, including throwing their teeth on the roof. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW called this volume "an eye-opener for young Americans who may have assumed that the Tooth Fairy holds a worldwide visa." Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

School Library Journal

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