The Bear's Toothache

by David McPhail

When he discovers a bear with a toothache outside his window, a little boy tries to think of ways of removing the tooth.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Health

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 1978

About the author

David was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts and attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. While there, he began illustrating. He is now an award-winning author and illustrator of nearly 200 books beloved by children, parents and librarians across the United States. McPhail has garnered many prestigious awards, including a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year for Mole Music in 2001. McPhail’s other books include First Flight, which the New York Times praised as “hilarious and helpful”; and Lost!, which was chosen as an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists.

McPhail has four children, three stepchildren, and is a proud grandfather. He is married to Jan Waldron, with whom he has written and illustrated several books. He lives in Rye, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Manny]

I spent Monday and much of Tuesday suffering from toothache, but luckily my dentist gave me an immediate appointment and amoxicillin is very effective. As soon as I started to feel better, it occurred to me to wonder just why toothache is so painful. Okay, it's dangerous, but there are many other conditions that are much worse, up to and including 100% fatal, and hurt much less. Why should that be? I looked around a bit on the web without finding anything useful.

So here's a theory that I'd like to run by you. From the point of view of evolutionary psychology, a natural question is what selection advantage there might be to having toothache be so painful. And in fact there is a plausible candidate! Toothache, I argue, is unusual in the following respect: a) it is fairly dangerous, and b) it is often easily treatable by simply removing the offending tooth. People have known how to remove teeth for a long time, plausibly far longer than recorded history.

Given these facts, it seems to me that there might well be a positive selection pressure towards experiencing toothache as very painful. The wusses like me will moan and complain about how horrible it is until the people around them can't take any more, and just have to do something to stop it. In contrast, some of the strong, silent types who clench their manly jaws and block out the pain will get blood poisoning and die. Even if this only happens to a modest proportion of the strong, silent types, it's pretty clear which strategy is going to win.

Is there any prediction made by the theory which would allow us to test it? Again, to my surprise, the answer is yes. Hardly any animals except humans are smart enough to be able to remove teeth (in fact, I am not sure any animals are that smart), so there should be no corresponding selection pressure. Hence other animals should not experience toothache as being equally painful.

Is this true? I'm not sure. A little googling confirms that humans are far from being the only species that suffers from toothache - for example, it's claimed to be a common problem for elderly dogs. But I have spent a reasonable amount of time in the company of elderly dogs, and I've never seen one display the symptoms that in a human would suggest a toothache. Dogs are pretty good at conveying emotion, so I would thought it'd be noticeable. On the other hand, maybe I'm just not enough of a dog person to pick up the cues. I know even less about horses.

Does anyone in the amazing Goodreads hive mind have more information?

[Kayleigh Schaffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bears Toothache is about a bear that wanders upon a little boy at bedtime. The bear has a painful toothache, and is trying everything to relieve it. With the boys help, the bears toothache is soon relieved and the bear leaves to continue his life.
The fairy-tale aspect of this book lets children react and use their own personal experience to extend their imagination and put themselves into the little boys shoes. What would you do if a bear wandered into your room?

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whimsical fantasy. Many children like to imagine making friends with large semi-scary animals. Think Danny and the Dinosaur for example. Personally, it doesn't wow me, and wouldn't have when I was little, but I do recognize the appeal.

[Clwseattle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bear's Toothache will charm children and their adults! I fuels imagination and has the lovliest illustrations.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the ink drawings, especially those of the bear. The story was okay.

[morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like the drawings.

[Chappyfamily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad not amazing

[Britt Kitko]

Summary: This is a book about a boy who allows a bear to come in his window because it had a toothache. The boy tries many times to pull the tooth so the bear feels better. Eventually they decide to tie a rope to it have have him jomp out the window and it works!

Audience:
- Reading level- Early
- Genre- Fiction
- Topic- bears, pulling teeth

Curricular uses: Independent reading- Could be read by a student who is dealing with loosing their own baby teeth. The book is able to be read through the images and there are a lot of sight words.

Social Issues: sneaking things into the boys bedroom, hiding the bear from his dad

Literary elements: man vs. himself conflict between the bear and his stubborn tooth, boy is very couragous and complex in the fact that he is very brave about taking care of a bear that is so large

Interactions and counteractions of text and image: The images are very amusing and interact with the text. By looking at the images, the reader will learn more about the story that the text does not tell. My favorite image is of when the dad comes into the room after hearing noises. The bear is standing tall against the wall tring to go unnoticed and then under the bed lifting it in the air and the dad does not notice!

[Tayler Bingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

McPhail, David. "The Bear's Toothache." Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 1972. Print. This is the story of a young kid who hears a bear hurting outside his window late at night. The boy finds out the bear has a toothache, and so he comes up with many ways to try and help the bear. Eventually, they are able to pull the bear's tooth by having him jump out the window with his tooth attached to a rope and the bed. The bear thankfully gives his tooth to the boy to put under his pillow. This book was very well written. The text was separated from the pictures at the bottom, but the pictures beautifully illustrated the actual happenings of the text. There was just a small amount of simple text with simple illustrations. This was meant for a young child and easy reader. I would definitely use this book to help kids think of creative ways to solve problems in their own lives.

[Angel Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: This book is about a bear that creeps into a boy’s window. The boy is trying to relieve the pears pain. The bear has a terrible tooth ache. The boy tries hitting him with a pillow and many other things.
I like the book it is engaging to children into the tooth ache. This book is appropriate for first graders.
Literature Terms: Onomatopoeia, Plot.
This book is great to teach first graders how sounds are related to their meaning.
Response: I lived the book. It’s a great book for emerging readers to read during their independent time.
Activity: This is a great book to create a readers theater.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I told this story with flannelboard art for a dental care-themed program for both Spanish and bilingual story times. In the Bear's Toothache, a little boy tries to help a bear loosen his bad tooth. Nothing works until the boy ties a string around the tooth and the other end to his bed post and has him JUMP out of the window. To be honest, it sounds awful and scary, but the story works since the bear is so thankful that his tooth is gone. I just fear for those kids who might try something similar. Maybe I'm paranoid. ;-)

[Lindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been years since we read this book, but the memory is very fresh -- the page with the exhausted dad, bleary-eyed in doorway, not noticing the bear hiding under the bed in particular. Also the way Nick and Kagan's excited toddler-speak, recounting the story, would give way to perfect English with "The tooth popped out!", which always surprised the random adults they would accost. Lovely.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

David McPhail writes the most wonderful stories for children.

[Andrea M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those perfectly constructed picture books with humor, ingenuity and a perfect ending. Loved it!

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very short book for young children.

[Tori]

2008-Okay, good to use for younger children and talking about predictions."

[Rebekah Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a fun story about a bear and a boy. It was interesting to see how the boy used problem solving to help the bear with his toothache.

[Chandra Turner Shoalmire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid! One of the few I can remember reading over and over again.

[Sarah A · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever and sweet little problem solving story although I hope no kids are inspired to pull their own teeth by jumping out of a window!!

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute!

[Mommooshka · Rating 4 out of 5]

All David McPhail books are delights for kids and adults. The illustrations are magical.