Loose Tooth

by Steven Kroll, Tricia Tusa (Illustrator)

Jealous when his brother's loose tooth gets him all the attention, Flapper decides to steal the tooth before the tooth fairy can come.

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens

Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Stephen Kroll spoke at schools and conferences all over the world. He was married to the journalist, Kathleen Beckett, and they lived in New York City and an old carriage house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. When he was not writing or traveling, he played a lot of tennis and walked around looking at everything.

Reviews

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flapper becomes jealous of the attention his brother Fangs receives after losing a tooth.

This picture book addresses feelings of sibling jealousy.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two brother bats do everything together. that is until one of them gets a loose tooth. He becomes the focus of friends and family. The tooth eventually falls out. The other bat is jealous and steals the tooth. The tooth fairy leaves no money since there was no tooth. The tooth is accidentally dropped into the muffin mix. Mom finds it the following morning when she bites into it. The felon bat confesses. Daddy bat gives the toothless boy a quarter because the tooth fairy would have if the tooth had been under the pillow. But Daddy also gives the thief a quarter because they shouldn't have ignored him. What? Paying a thief!

Now the thief has a loose tooth and he garners attention. But he's also going to end up with a quarter from the tooth fairy that his brother won't. In the end, good boy gets a quarter and thief boy gets fifty cents. This is how our society tends to work and it is wrong!

Yes, I read too far into these things, but this is just nonsensical!

[Caycee Hatchette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal reaction: I enjoyed this book. I thought the story was good and I liked that there was a lesson tied into it.

I think this book would be appropriate to read to kindergarten or first graders. This would be good to read right after the first tooth in the class has fallen out. This book is good because there is an overarching theme of telling the truth even when you don't want to because you are afraid of getting in trouble. There isn't figurative language in this book but there is a good mix of vocab words that some students may not have known too well before: soared, discovered. I think that the illustrations are pretty basic and with that, more of the imagination is involved. The colors tend to stay the same, they are dull for the most part but the pictures do paint a scene.

[Malory Turnbull]

To me what stuck out most about this book was the fact that the two brothers were always together. It reminded me when I was little and my brother would always follow me around and sometimes it bothered me. I felt like he was copying me but after this book i feel students will understand that its just because they love you. It would be a great story to read to a class of younger students to touch base on how to treat each other and how copying someone is the most sincere form of flatterly. Another little lesson from this book that stands out it the lesson of not wanting what others have and being jealous. We should be happy for our family and friends. Overall loved this book!

[Kelley Mcalhany]

Cute story about twin bats and one twin's tooth is lose. Funny read for students who are loosing teeth.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampire twins Fang and Flapper were just alike. Until Fang got a loose tooth and Flapper got jealous. Cute story about brothers and how to resolve jealousy and get along.