Our first grader has been waiting a LONG time to lose a tooth… Her first friends started losing their teeth almost 2.5 years ago, when they were in preschool, and watching everyone else lose teeth in kindergarten, along with having a class chart tracking how many teeth the class had lost, almost did her in. So, you can imagine the excitement in our house at the beginning of the month when she discovered that she has a loose tooth!
And, making my book-loving heart proud, one of her first questions about it was, “Mommy, do we have any books about loose teeth? I want to read them all tonight!” We had a few to pull out immediately, and I asked on Instagram for more recommendations, which I gathered from the library over the next week or so. So now, we’ve been reading loose tooth and tooth fairy books on repeat in our house! (Easy literacy tip here — when your child is really interested in a topic, whether it be loose teeth or a famous person or the moon, gather those books from your shelves and the library! Children will, of course, read more if they’re interested in the books!). I’m excited to share today our favorite books about losing teeth.
All links for purchase are Amazon Affiliate links, and most age ranges listed are publishers’ recommendations (I’ve noted my opinion if it differs). Thank you for considering making a purchase through my links!
The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez by René Colato Laínez, illustrated by Tom Lintern — A follower on Instagram recommended this one to me, and I am SO glad she did! I had never stopped to think about how that first lost tooth is celebrated around the world, so therefore I didn’t realize that the oral tradition of the Tooth Fairy really only exists in English-speaking countries. In many other countries (the Author’s Note mentions Latin America and most of Europe), a small mouse takes children’s teeth from under their pillow, rather than the Tooth Fairy! This is a delightful tale of overcome differences and selfish wants to work together for the common good (and maybe make a new friend along the way). Be sure to check out the Author’s Note, the information about the Tooth Fairy and El Ratón Pérez, and the glossary of Spanish terms included at the back. Ages 3-7.
Bear’s Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman — I had forgotten that Wilson and Chapman have a Bear book about losing teeth! And, as with the whole Bear series, my girls loved listening to this one and chiming in with the repeated, predictable phrases. As far as a loose tooth book goes, I greatly appreciate that Wilson shows worry, rather than excitement, over the prospect of losing a tooth. After all, it is a very different and new stage of life, and I have a feeling that many, many children have the same question as Bear: “But how will I eat if my tooth says good-bye?” Ages 2-5, but great for older kids losing their first teeth, too!
One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey — From the man who brought us Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal, we’ve got another Sal book, this time featuring a loose (and then lost!) tooth! Similar to Bear’s Loose Tooth, Sal is also initially worried about her loose tooth, fearing it is going to ruin her day. My favorite aspect of One Morning in Maine, however, is that the focus of the story is on how Sal spends her day with her loose tooth, not on how the tooth fairy might come and bring her something (in fact, the tooth fairy is never mentioned, and rather than payment for her tooth, Sal is encouraged to make a wish when she puts her tooth under her pillow!). I’m a big fan of McCloskey’s books and love his insights into life in a different era; needless to say, this book has been one of the most repeated in our loose tooth stack! Side note— did you know that Sal, the mother, and Sal’s sister Jane are modeled after McCloskey’s own wife and children??? Ages 3-7 (though this one is longer, so know your 3-year-old well before diving in!).
King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth by Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers — We love the King & Kayla series, and this Geisel Award Honor book (an award given to the most distinguished books for beginning readers) is just delightful! Kayla and her dog, King, love to solve mysteries, and in this case, they’re solving the mystery of where Kayla’s lost tooth has gone! Because yes, she not only lost her tooth, she also LOST her tooth! She can’t find it anywhere! Have no fear, though, because King and Kayla are on the case, and they’ll figure it out. With short chapters, illustrations on each page, and minimal text per page, King and Kayla also bring our girls to laughing hysterics, as the stories are told from King’s perspective… And it turns out, a dog’s take on the world is pretty funny! Ages 7-9, but a great introduction to chapter books for younger listeners making the transition from picture to chapter books.
I Lost My Tooth! by Mo Willems — While the Unlimited Squirrels books will never quite replace the Elephant & Piggie books in our hearts, we do love this longer, more detailed series by Willems, targeting older readers. I mean, of course, just about anything Willems writes is doing to be delightfully funny! So, of course, we had to get our hands on I Lost My Tooth!, and it didn’t disappoint. Unlike Bear and Sal above, Zoom Squirrel is excited that he has lost his tooth, but his friends don’t understand what has happened… So hilarity ensues as they try to find his lost tooth for him! Ages 6-8, though could be broken into segments for younger readers (we just read the first part, the story itself, with our 4-year-old and left the jokes and facts for our first grader to read on her own).
Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Claudia Rueda — Cat has a problem. He has lost a tooth, and the tooth fairy came, but he’s still not happy, because all he really wants is to MEET the the Tooth Fairy. He tries to trick her into coming back again, but that idea fails. Then, however, Cat receives a special present with a note saying that if he helps with some tooth pick-ups and payment deliveries, he might be able to meet the Tooth Fairy. Your children are bound to laugh as determined Cat tries to make good on his end of the deal! And Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat is written for perfect reading aloud, as the reader/narrator is in conversation with Cat the whole time. We haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but I’m guessing we might have to fix that problem, as our girls loved listening to this one! Ages 3-5, though our 6.5-year-old laughed her way through this one, too.
Josie’s Lost Tooth by Jennifer L. Mann — Last on our list is another case of a LOST, not just lost, tooth. Perfect for those kiddos like our daughter who have watched all of their friends lose their first teeth, Josie is the only kid in her class who hasn’t yet lost a tooth! While I loved the story and how much my daughter identified with Josie’s wishes and questions, I really loved the friendship Mann gives us between Josie (a diverse girl) and her friend Richard (a red-headed, freckle-faced boy). Mann’s inspiration from this story came from her own daughter, who actually lost a tooth when she tripped and fell! Ages 5-8.
Tell me— how old was your child/were your children when that first tooth fell out?
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