School Library Journal
08/01/2020
K-Gr 2—Different animal species are unique, all the way down to what's in their mouths. This book explores a variety of animal teeth, including sharks, hippos, squirrels, and anteaters (who have no teeth at all). Every spread provides a speech bubble with some clever clues, giving readers the chance to figure out what animal is being described. If the riddle is too tricky, helpful hints will definitely prompt a good guess. Turning the page offers the big reveal with an engaging photograph of the animal, along with additional fun facts. The photographs are a highlight. Many of them catch the animals mid-yawn, in the middle of taking a bite, or grinning to expose their pearly whites. The text also features a diagram of the human mouth to explore different types of teeth (such as incisor and molar) and an explanation of the connection between an animal's diet and its teeth. Although the book doesn't explore the specifics of dental hygiene, it can be used as a jumping-off point to discuss the importance of caring for one's chompers with young children. VERDICT Wildlife lovers will delight in this lively exploration of animal enamels.—Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State Univ., OH
Kirkus Reviews
2020-05-03
Guess each animal from facts about their teeth combined with hints about their behavior, location, or anatomy.
A large white speech bubble appears on each recto page, mostly obscuring a photo of an animal. A statement about that animal’s teeth (or lack thereof, in the cases of anteaters and humpback whales) is followed by a hint about the animal’s traits to facilitate guessing. For example, “You can tell how old I am by the growth rings on my teeth. I am… / Hint: I live in water and am smart and social.” Bits of animals visible around the speech bubble also offer some clues. Some kids may have the answer; many young children will not. The page turn reveals a full-page photo, the animal’s name (dolphin, in this case) in large type, and a callout box with facts about its dental characteristics: “Bottlenose dolphins only get one set of teeth for their entire lives. They use their teeth to catch their food, and then they swallow it whole.” The book matter-of-factly introduces information about 11 land and sea animals as well as a human representative, a young child with Asian features. Backmatter defines herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores along with a short guessing game about these categories and presents a diagram of the human mouth with descriptions of its teeth. The full-color stock photos vary in quality.
A useful title on a kid-friendly topic. (Informational picture book. 5-7)
