I Lost My Tooth! (Unlimited Squirrels Series #1)

by Mo Willems, Mo Willems (Illustrator)

Overview

Mo Willems, creator of the revolutionary, award-winning, best-selling Elephant & Piggie books, is back with another breakout beginning-reader series. An ensemble cast of Squirrels, Acorns, and pop-in guests host a page-turning extravaganza. Each book features a funny, furry adventure AND bonus jokes, quirky quizzes, nutty facts, and so, so many Squirrels.


In I Lost My Tooth!, Zoom Squirrel has lost a front tooth! The Squirrels leap into action when they discover the missing tooth is a baby tooth! Do you know more about teeth than the Squirrels do? You will by the end of this book!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368024570
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/02/2018
Series:	Unlimited Squirrels Series , #1
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	27,674
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mo Willems, a number one New York Times best-selling author and illustrator has been awarded a Caldecott Honor on three occasions, for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. His celebrated Elephant & Piggie series has won two Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals and five Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors.


Mo began his career as a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy awards. He lives with his family in Massachusetts. Learn more at pigeonpresents.com and @The_Pigeon.




See above.

Editorial Reviews

08/06/2018
Full of signature Willems hilarity, this beginning reader series opener stars 16 squirrels whose cheerful energy bursts from the pages. When Zoom Squirrel tells the other squirrels about its lost tooth (“Th! Th! Th!” Zoom keeps saying, experimenting with the new hole in its mouth), the revelation is met by over-the-top cries of dismay. “The tooth was loose,” Zoom Squirrel explains reasonably. “You should not let a tooth go loose, Zoom Squirrel,” Zap Squirrel cries. “Teeth have no sense of direction,” Zing Squirrel adds. “WE WILL FIND YOUR TOOTH!” the scurry shouts in chorus, and the story builds even after the tooth is found. The squirrels all sport adorable, bean-shaped noses, and a chart on the endpapers shows which is which. The action unfolds against a clean white backdrop, the better to emphasize the chatter; acorn emojis pepper the pages to convey moments of emotional impact; and tooth facts and back-of-the-cereal-box jokes round out the tale. New readers will giggle as they puzzle out new words and sounds. Ages 6–8. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Another easy reader hit for Willems. Fans of “Elephant Piggie” will enjoy the author’s trademark humor and format and embrace these new squirrely friends."—School Library Journal (starred review)

"Those who worried how the world would survive the end of the Elephant Piggie books can now rest easy; Willems is letting loose a new beginning reader series, Unlimited Squirrels. Preschoolers' newest obsession starts here. Hoard it like acorns."—Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 08/01/2018
PreS-Gr 1—In this first title in a new easy reader series, Zoom Squirrel has lost his baby tooth and his frenetic squirrel friends (with names like Boom, Zap, and Zowie) are frantic to help him find it, because they literally think the tooth is a baby that must be scared, alone, and hungry! The madcap silliness and humor will please fans of "Elephant & Piggie." The format is similar, too, with spare text in speech bubbles along with varying text size and boldness to convey strong emotions. Clean, simply drawn illustrations are done in muted shades of brown. In addition to the story, there are a couple of other sections (enough to warrant a Table of Contents for the 96-page book) such as "Acorn-y Jokes," and the clever addition of some factual information about teeth, provided by a character named Research Rodent. Savvy readers will find Pigeon hiding on one of the pages, and will enjoy locating the various "emote-acorns" throughout the book—acorns with different expressions. VERDICT Another easy reader hit for Willems. Fans of "Elephant & Piggie" will enjoy the author's trademark humor and format and embrace these new squirrely friends.—Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX

School Library Journal

2018-07-24

A cast of squirrels investigates a missing tooth in this off-the-wall series opener from Willems.

When lisping Zoom Squirrel reveals that they lost their tooth, the other squirrels work themselves into a frenzy. A tooth? All alone? Oh no! The rodent collective asks for clues and declares it their mission to find Zoom Squirrel's tooth. As the others' grand search takes them near and far (albeit in the wrong directions), Zoom Squirrel finds their tooth without help. Or did the tooth find Zoom Squirrel? This reader, a level up in complexity from Elephant & Piggie, offers a similar formula but with a longer page count and a larger cast of cartoony characters. Willems' signature use of color-coded speech bubbles helps readers recognize speakers amid the increased amount of dialogue. Willems also breaks out of his early-reader mold with the inclusion of backmatter (tooth facts, silly jokes, and a quiz) and a table of contents. While the amusing backmatter effectively blends elements of nonfiction, the slim table of contents comes off as extraneous since the bulk of the story is uninterrupted by chapters. Similarly, Willems' use of "emote-acorns" to alert readers "when the Squirrels have BIG feelings" is a unique tool for encouraging social-emotional development but questionably effective.

Elephant & Piggie sure are a tough act to follow, but readers will more than likely want to squirrel these new friends away with equal fervor. (Early reader. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews