Tooth Trouble

by Jane Clarke, Cecilia Johansson (Illustrator)

Wilbur's tusk hurts but he still does not want to go to the dentist until Grandpa persuades him that it might help.

Genres: Animals, Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Health, Fiction, School

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

See also pseudonym Hayley Daze.

Jane was born 17 December 1954 and brought up in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. From 1972 to 1975 Jane attend the University of Birmingham where she earned a combined Bachelor of Arts with honours in archaeology and history. In 1981 she completed a PhD in archaeology from University College London.

On 5 November 1977 Jane married Chemical Engineer Martin Clarke, whose work took them to Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Wales and the Netherlands. Together they raised two sons, Andrew and Robert (both born in Wales).

During her doctoral studies Jane lectured at University College London (1978–79). Thereafter she lectured at University College Cardiff in Wales part time (1981–83), and also taught history at Bryn Hafren School in Barry, Wales (1979–83). After Jane moved with her family to the Netherlands (Koewacht), she began working part time as a librarian at the Antwerp International School. It was during this time when she started her career as a children’s author.

Jane’s husband, Martin, died of a heart attack in Antwerp, Belgium on 20 December 2001. In June 2005, Jane moved from the Netherlands back to Kent (near Deal) in England where she now lives.

Aside from writing children’s books, Jane spends a significant amount of time inspiring children to read and write. She frequently visits schools throughout the UK and Europe to do so.

Jane Clarke is a team writer on three different popular series. Dinosaur Cove (series created by Working Partners Ltd. and published by Oxford University Press), Puddle the naughtiest puppy (series created by Working Partners Ltd. and published by Ladybird Books Ltd.) and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (created by Random House Children's Books and published by Red Fox.)

Jane has also done support work for various charitable organisations including Ellenor Lions Children’s Hospice, Institute of Cancer Research (The Clapham Grand), Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and READ (promotes reading in Africa).

Reviews

[Cameron Lazenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was fun and I really enjoyed the twist. A s far as a kid book goes, I feel it offers a lasting impression about dental care. in that sense, I would say it was fun enjoyable read I imagine most children will like a lot.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute pictures, and reaffirms that the dentist doesn't have to be as bad as it sounds.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 125583 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.6 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, RV


Wilber's tusk hurts but he does not want to go to the dentist. Granpa persuades Wilber that there are worse things than the dentist. The story is very good for children who are scared of the dentist. This text uses lots of contractions, pronouns and possessive nouns. There is alot of dialogue that is set off by quotation marks.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey there, everyone! Today, I'm gonna tell you about this super cool book called "Wilbur's Brave Tooth Adventure." It's all about Wilbur, who's this awesome elephant with a big, big tusk. But guess what? His tusk starts hurting a lot!

So, Wilbur's tusk is giving him a hard time, making him feel kinda scared to go to the dentist. I mean, who likes going to the dentist, right? But Wilbur is extra scared! He thinks it's gonna be super ouchie.

But here's the fun part: Wilbur's grandpa is like the superhero of the story. He talks to Wilbur and says, "Hey buddy, going to the dentist might help your tusk feel better." Grandpas are smart, you know!

So, Wilbur starts thinking about it, and with a little bit of grandpa magic, he decides to be brave and go see the dentist. And guess what? The dentist is really nice! She has all these cool tools and funny glasses, and she takes care of Wilbur's tusk.

In the end, Wilbur is so happy he went to the dentist. His tusk stops hurting, and he even gets a shiny sticker! Yay for stickers!

I loved this book because it's about being brave, going to the dentist, and having cool grandpas who help you. Plus, there are awesome pictures that show everything that happens. So, if you ever have a hurting tooth or if you're scared of the dentist, you should totally read "Wilbur's Brave Tooth Adventure." It's a super fun and cool story!

[Sara P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Clarke and Cecilia Johansson make a great lesson with this book about a little walrus with a tooth ache, hence the name “tooth troubles”. Wilbur shows us that we should get help before it’s too late through his grandpa’s own story. Wilbur shows us to also face our fears. Just as he was to go to the dentist, this relates to a lot of us because a lot of people have simple fears, such as clowns, doctors, the dark, and bugs. Wilbur shows us strength and courage by facing his fear.



Even if the Wilbur was scared, he did it for his grandpa, which I find extremely cool because I know all of us would do the same for someone we care about. And in the end Wilbur was happy, grandpa was happy because he got a new tusk, and momma was proud! Overall, I really like this book the morals are good for small children, and even adults.

[Jenica Sword · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a walrus whose tusk hurts and he has to go to the dentist. Wilbur did several different things and they all hurt his tusk. His friends and family kept trying to convince him to go to the dentist and he didn't want to, but finally he agreed. The illustrations in this book matched up with the text very well. The story was perfect for young kids who might be scared to go to the dentist. I could use this to talk about personal hygiene in a young classroom.

I gave this book five stars. I think this book is a fun and easy read. Students would really enjoy the story and the characters, and I really enjoy reading it.

[Zoe Hickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to a four year old and she loved it. The book features a walrus with a sore tooth and talks about the pain which he is in and how he struggles to do things he would normally do! This frustrates him, however he sticks to his word in that he does not want to go to the dentist. Eventually, he gives in to the pain and visits the dentist who is able to quickly solve the problem. Then the dentist advises that he continues to brush his teeth twice daily just like everyone should be. This would be a good short story about personal hygiene and how it is important to brush your teeth.

[Ben Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book there is a walrus named Wilbur. Wilbur ended up having a tusk ache but he did not want to go to the dentist. Wilbur kept being put in situations where his tusk hurt. Eventually he learned that even if we don't want to do things there are somethings that we have to do.

I LOVED this book! It was a cute and informative to help kids realize when you need to do what you don't want to do.

I would use this book to try and help the students know how to deal with tough situations.

[Bethany Carter]

I read this story to two girls (5Yrs and 6Yrs) as their parents had explained their hatred for brushing their teeth and how it was creating problems, especially at bedtime. The girls loved the book and the message of how important it is to brush your teeth twice daily seemed to really resonate with them. I enjoyed the illustrations and colours used as they reminded me of the colour of toothpaste.

[Sydney Huntington-Strohm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walter the Walrus in the beginning has his tusk broken. He went to his mom, dad, and grandfather and he kept complaining it hurt. The grandfather showed his tooth he broke one day and that influenced his decision to go to the dentist. This would be good for Kindergarten and first grade for them to understand the importance of going to the dentist.

[Cecile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alliteration was cute. Grandpa sets a terrible example by not going to the dentist and this goes to donation pile; I do not want my child to think that this is acceptable behavior on the part of an elder.

[Felicia Tidwell taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilbur did not want to go to the dentist. After Wilbur's Tooth starts to hurt after enjoying a meal with his mom he starts to change his mind and his Grandpa helps him make that decision.

[Marta Pereira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Addressing teeth falling and dentist going

[Christine Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dental Health Storytime.
When the Walrus' tooth hurts he refuses to go to the dentist until his grandpa gives him a very good visit for this important visit.

[Tupelo Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this 3 stars, but I have a stuffed animal like this, and that's really cool.

[The Campbell Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to talk about why dentists are important and not scary.

[Kasandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little walrus doesn't want to go to the dentist for his sore tusk. Can totally relate. Adorable.

[alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book about the letter "W" or a book about dentists being homies, have i got the walrus recommendation for you

[Little Champs]

3130

[Erin Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tooth Trouble is a preschool story about a walrus named Wilbur with a tooth ache. Throughout the story, he tries to ignore the pain, but it gets in the way of the fun he is having with his friends. Despite the warning from his mother, Wilbur is not looking forward to getting his teeth fixed.

I rated this story three stars because I think its cute. The images are well done and I think animals as main characters in books are so much more fun for kids learning about potentially scary topics like going to the dentist! I think that the idea of being scared or unwilling to go to the dentist is relatable to a lot of young kids (speaking from personal experience), and I think that this book does a decent job at letting kids know that its not as bad as it seems and that the dentist is there to help you. The story is very plain in its language and uses a lot of repetition, which I believe may be helpful to the younger readers because of how easy it is to remember. I think kids would find this book very appealing because of the Walruses as main characters and the child-like way they are drawn and written. Kids might find it easy to connect with fun characters that reflect their own experiences!

[Em Mirra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This adorable book follows the story of Wilbur Walrus and his tooth trouble. One day he's eating crayfish with his mother when his tooth starts hurting. He initially refuses multiple times to go to the dentist, but eventually after a talk with grandpa, he realizes the importance of a visit.

Ages: Early readers (Daycare/Pre-K to 1st Grade)
Rated 3 out of 5 stars for:

- Adorable illustrations (paintings) and good typography
- Simple, repetitive story
- Easy to understand
- Cute characters
- Good way of combating anxiety about dentist visits!
- Incorporates importance of good dental hygiene
- Theme of overcoming fears/doing the right thing even though it's not the easiest

[David Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wilbur's tusk starts to hurt him while playing and eating, but Wilbur does not want to go to the dentist. He visits his grappa who comfort him about not wanting to go to the dentist. His grappa encouraged him to go to the dentist, but he was able to fix Wilbur's tusk issue himself. Wilbur's grappa has tusk issues and needs to see the dentist as well but refuses to go, and now Wilbur is encouraging his grandpa to go to the dentist. Fear of dentist is not only issue or children but a far that exist in all ages.

[Rachel Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The young walrus in this story has a tusk that hurts, but he is too afraid to go to the dentist. His grandfather helps him out but then ends up with a tusk that hurts him. His grandson encourages him to go to the dentist but grandpa too is afraid to go to the dentist. It shows children that adults and children have fears. A fear of the dentist is one that is real and a lot of people young and old have had. But it also shows that it is important for us to face our fears and to take care of our teeth.

[Kristin Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to read to children to get them to understand the importance of going to the dentist and not being fearful of them. When Wilbur noticed his Grandpa's broken tusk, he realized that he did not want his tusks looking like that so he decided that it was time for him to go to the dentist.

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a walrus named Wilbur who has a tusk-ache. Other walruses tell Wilbur he will have to go to the dentist but he does not want to go. However, after seeing his grandpas tusk, he realizes it is important to go to the dentist. This book would be nice for teaching children that sometimes we have to do things we do not want to do but in the long run it pays off.

[Kirstin Kemppainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilbur the walrus has a tooth ache, but he really doesn't want to visit the dentist. He thought it would be scary, but after a few activities where it really hurt his tooth, and talking to his grandpa, he finally agreed to go to the dentist. After all that, it wasn't bad at all.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be fun to read with first graders who are all about teeth. This was the dollar special from scholastic I ordered and I like it pretty well. This would be great to have in a classroom for students free reading. It teaches good lessons about going to the dentist.

[Katie Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving all the books about losing teeth! This is a great book for students to read who are losing their teeth left and right. It talks about the importance of going to the dentist and keeping your teeth clean. Great for free reading or a read aloud.

[Natalie Heavrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute focused on tooth health. Kids will be able to relate because a lot of them may be afraid of the dentist. The book can show them that if they have a problem, to not be afraid of the doctor. They are there to help you feel better!

[Katie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilbur's tusk hurts but he does not want to go to the dentist! Finally, grandpa convinces him to go to the dentist, who shows Wilbur how to take care of his tusks. This is a good lesson about teeth cleaning.