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Buck's Tooth
An easy-to-read illustrated chapter book about a big-toothed beaver who learns the importance of self-acceptance.
All beavers have flat tails and furry coats. Most beavers have two front teeth. And then there’s Buck. Unlike the rest of his family, he has one gigantic front tooth—and he hates it! His tooth ruins everything for him, especially the Annual Talent Show.
Whatever Buck tries to do for the contest—whistle, walk on stilts, blow bubbles—his tooth gets in the way. Can Buck learn to embrace his inner tooth?
All beavers have flat tails and furry coats. Most beavers have two front teeth. And then there’s Buck. Unlike the rest of his family, he has one gigantic front tooth—and he hates it! His tooth ruins everything for him, especially the Annual Talent Show.
Whatever Buck tries to do for the contest—whistle, walk on stilts, blow bubbles—his tooth gets in the way. Can Buck learn to embrace his inner tooth?
64 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2015
2 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Diane Kredensor
9 booksMy formative years were spent dressing my dog in old baby clothes, reading MAD magazine, and dreaming of the day I could head to the “big city.” After a stint in advertising, I escaped my small town Maryland home to pursue big adventures in Los Angeles.
My career blossomed from intern on Hanna Barbera’s The Pagemaster, to character designer on MGM’s The Pink Panther and Klasky Csupo’s Duckman. I spent five years as a storyboard artist and designer at Warner Bros. on Freakazoid, Animaniacs, Superman, and won two Emmy Awards for my work on Pinky and the Brain. I went on to do storyboards for Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold!, Oswald, and Clifford the Big Red Dog.
After a six month long trip around the world, I landed in NYC. With a new outlook (and some great travel stories, including one about a yak cheese sandwich in Nepal that brought me to my knees), I continued my career on the other side of the country. I was the Story Director on Disney’s Stanley, and Noggin’s Pinky Dinky Doo, as well as Creative Director on PBS’s Nate the Great and their hit series, WordWorld. I also created my first animated cartoon, Call Me Bessie! which I co-produced with Nickelodeon and which aired on Nicktoons Network.
I live in Brooklyn, the best place in the world. My favorite pastimes include traveling to exotic places, eating cheese, collecting inspiring quotes, and laughing. I know that anything is possible and I try to live life that way!
My career blossomed from intern on Hanna Barbera’s The Pagemaster, to character designer on MGM’s The Pink Panther and Klasky Csupo’s Duckman. I spent five years as a storyboard artist and designer at Warner Bros. on Freakazoid, Animaniacs, Superman, and won two Emmy Awards for my work on Pinky and the Brain. I went on to do storyboards for Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold!, Oswald, and Clifford the Big Red Dog.
After a six month long trip around the world, I landed in NYC. With a new outlook (and some great travel stories, including one about a yak cheese sandwich in Nepal that brought me to my knees), I continued my career on the other side of the country. I was the Story Director on Disney’s Stanley, and Noggin’s Pinky Dinky Doo, as well as Creative Director on PBS’s Nate the Great and their hit series, WordWorld. I also created my first animated cartoon, Call Me Bessie! which I co-produced with Nickelodeon and which aired on Nicktoons Network.
I live in Brooklyn, the best place in the world. My favorite pastimes include traveling to exotic places, eating cheese, collecting inspiring quotes, and laughing. I know that anything is possible and I try to live life that way!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 26, 2015
A young beaver with a very large tooth struggles with his self-esteem in this beginning chapter book.
Chapters are highly illustrated and look very much like a graphic novel. The story enjoys a solid start (i.e. examples of how living with the tooth is troublesome) and offers a realistic problem (i.e. what talent to showcase at the talent show), though the solution is pretty obvious and not very satisfying considering it piggyback's off the beaver's uncle's talent.
Grades 1-3.
Chapters are highly illustrated and look very much like a graphic novel. The story enjoys a solid start (i.e. examples of how living with the tooth is troublesome) and offers a realistic problem (i.e. what talent to showcase at the talent show), though the solution is pretty obvious and not very satisfying considering it piggyback's off the beaver's uncle's talent.
Grades 1-3.
May 21, 2021
This would be really good for early readers 1st/2nd grade. Buck is different and learns to embrace it and finds his special talent.
December 11, 2015
Buck has no confidence in himself, because of his huge non-split tooth. I didn't care for him as a character. His instant confidence found at the end of the book felt rushed to me. I was not impressed with this story. Very predictable.
August 7, 2015
Lovely way to teach self-acceptance. Really liked the illustrations.
August 17, 2015
Cute story for early readers.
December 19, 2019
Buck's Tooth by Diane Kredensor. EARLY READER. Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), 2015. $13. 9781481423822
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Buck likes a lot of things about himself, but he can't stand his one huge tooth. It seems to ruin everything. It's especially annoying now that he wants to participate in the upcoming talent show, because no matter what he does, that tooth is in the way. By the day of the show, he still has no idea what talent he wants to display. And then the perfect opportunity presents itself.
The beginning of this one is cute, and it's always nice to see a book that encourages self-acceptance, but other than that, this story fell pretty flat for me. The plot about finding a skill for the talent show is pretty over-done, and it made the story feel predictable. In addition, Buck's self-acceptance comes at the cost of someone else's art, and while he discovers something he's good at, it's not something he's particularly passionate about.
Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Buck likes a lot of things about himself, but he can't stand his one huge tooth. It seems to ruin everything. It's especially annoying now that he wants to participate in the upcoming talent show, because no matter what he does, that tooth is in the way. By the day of the show, he still has no idea what talent he wants to display. And then the perfect opportunity presents itself.
The beginning of this one is cute, and it's always nice to see a book that encourages self-acceptance, but other than that, this story fell pretty flat for me. The plot about finding a skill for the talent show is pretty over-done, and it made the story feel predictable. In addition, Buck's self-acceptance comes at the cost of someone else's art, and while he discovers something he's good at, it's not something he's particularly passionate about.
Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
March 29, 2021
"Buck's Tooth" is a chapter book about a beaver named Buck who has one giant bucktooth and is different from his entire beaver family except for his uncle who has the same bucktooth as Buck. Come time for the annual talent show, Buck cannot find a talent that suits him and his one giant bucktooth. This leads Buck to believe the only solution is to pull out his tooth. In the end, Buck learns that it is okay to be unique and foster your talents. This book would be great for introducing chapter books to young learners; as well as when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the classroom. As Buck struggles with his self-image, he soon learns that he is just as special as everyone else, just in his own way!
March 8, 2018
Buck the Beaver isn't like most of his family, he has a truly enormous Beaver tooth that causes him some difficulty in his day to day life. His friends are all excited about the upcoming talent show but Buck is miserable and devises a plan to get rid of his tooth but his tooth is too strong! His friends are supportive and eventually he finds out that his tooth is the secret to his talent after all.
April 6, 2021
The book “Buck’s Tooth” is an easier chapter book that contains pictures and can be an amazing book to read about self acceptance. This book is very entertaining to children of younger ages and contains a great message about loosing yourself. I would use this book at any time in my classroom to teach my students that it is important to see yourself with love and to never shame yourself for something you can not control.
April 4, 2021
This book is a good story to read to the class on how even insecurities can lead to a confidence boost. This story is great for students that may feel self-conscious about something related to their body but soon can realize that it actually is what makes them special. This book is good for young readers to explain that we are all special and our differences are what makes us unique.
August 12, 2020
My three year old loves this book. She’s had me read it to her at least ten times (it would be more if I didn’t put a daily limit on reading the same book) since it came in the mail a few days ago. Buck over comes his dislike of his one big tooth by finding his true talent, wood carving.
October 15, 2019
This is part simple chapter book, part graphic novel. Very cute.
February 24, 2021
Love the format and length. And, we are obviously in need of more books on differences and self-appreciation, but this one fell a little flat for me.
May 12, 2021
Buck was so sad that he didn't have a talent, but his friend Pearl said it was right under his nose and it was.
August 25, 2021
Just not enough to this book. Cute art, but the story is not that engaging.
April 9, 2017
Poor Buck is different - his tooth isn’t like the other beavers’ teeth. He searches for a talent that his tooth doesn’t interfere with. A good story to teach kids about possibilities, perseverance, and self-acceptance.
April 12, 2015
The Tooth, the Whole Tooth, Nothing But the Tooth
You know, bottom line, if you like the looks of the characters and if the story/message isn't too odd, weird, or heavy-handed, you've probably got a winner of an easy reader picture book. I thought this book, judged against that scale, was a big winner.
Buck the beaver has one humongous tooth instead of two regular big beaver teeth. It gets in the way and it makes him self-conscious. It also frustrates his attempts to develop a talent for the local forest talent show. (Watch him try to play the flute.) You can probably figure out the arc of the story and the message here, so it's probably not a SPOILER to reassure you that all ends happily.
The real question is whether we have fun get to that happy resolution. Well, Buck's a pretty appealing guy. His friends, (like Pearl the bird and Marvin the rabbit), are supportive and rally-round types, so the vibe is upbeat and cheerful even as Buck grows frustrated. The book doesn't get gloomy or angsty. The message isn't hammered home. The whole project is lighter and more cheerful than that.
And that story is carried well by spare but colorful drawings that have a lot of personality and energy. It's easy for a little reader/listener to follow what's going on, but there are some laughs and funny bits of business tucked into the drawings. The same is true for the writing. Short, punchy, direct sentences briskly and clearly tell the story.
And there are no false steps. No bully arrives out of nowhere. No awkward side messages or sourness or irony. This is just a straight up fun tale about a nice guy beaver and his pals. That works for me.
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
You know, bottom line, if you like the looks of the characters and if the story/message isn't too odd, weird, or heavy-handed, you've probably got a winner of an easy reader picture book. I thought this book, judged against that scale, was a big winner.
Buck the beaver has one humongous tooth instead of two regular big beaver teeth. It gets in the way and it makes him self-conscious. It also frustrates his attempts to develop a talent for the local forest talent show. (Watch him try to play the flute.) You can probably figure out the arc of the story and the message here, so it's probably not a SPOILER to reassure you that all ends happily.
The real question is whether we have fun get to that happy resolution. Well, Buck's a pretty appealing guy. His friends, (like Pearl the bird and Marvin the rabbit), are supportive and rally-round types, so the vibe is upbeat and cheerful even as Buck grows frustrated. The book doesn't get gloomy or angsty. The message isn't hammered home. The whole project is lighter and more cheerful than that.
And that story is carried well by spare but colorful drawings that have a lot of personality and energy. It's easy for a little reader/listener to follow what's going on, but there are some laughs and funny bits of business tucked into the drawings. The same is true for the writing. Short, punchy, direct sentences briskly and clearly tell the story.
And there are no false steps. No bully arrives out of nowhere. No awkward side messages or sourness or irony. This is just a straight up fun tale about a nice guy beaver and his pals. That works for me.
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
March 6, 2020
Buck has an unusual problem for a beaver, he has only one tooth. One very LARGE tooth. And it is crooked. His tooth always seems to get in the way of everything he tries to do. This becomes a real problem when he has to choose a talent to demonstrate at the town talent show. Then his friend, Pearl, gives him some wise words of advice, and he stumbles into a talent he didn't think he possessed. This colorful easy reader/graphic novel hybrid will be fun for young readers and will teach them to appreciate themselves and each other despite any differences.
March 27, 2015
HA! Not your run-of-the-mill young reader. Funny story and illustrations make this one a fun choice for the independent reader, most of whom are dealing with their own teeth. The scenes of Buck trying to pull his offending tooth will certainly be enjoyed. I like the overall message too although it would have been fun if Buck's talent was something new. Still, embracing a family talent is often resisted by kids giving the message of self-acceptance extra meaning.
June 11, 2015
Buck likes a lot of things about himself. Except for one thing. His HUGE front tooth. It get's in the way of everything! Including his plans to find his talent for the annual talent show.
I laughed out loud during this book!
I laughed out loud during this book!
September 30, 2015
Buck’s Tooth by Diane Kredensor – Early chapter book, humor – Will Buck find a way to be original for the talent show? Will he ever accept his tooth and get over the difference between him and others? Read to find out. Ridiculously cute. Love the book trailer as well!
October 9, 2015
Fun and funny early chapter book about a beaver that learns self-acceptance. The illustrations are fantastic and the animal characters are adorable. A great choice for those learning to read, as the font is large and there are lots of speech bubbles.
October 18, 2015
Cute early reader about self acceptance and appreciation for the things that make one unique.
July 4, 2015
It was cute. I liked it well enough. I don't know. I think I'm just hardest to please when it comes to chapter books, because I felt kinda' "meh." But maybe that's just me. It was cute though.
August 17, 2015
This book is hysterical and teaches a great message at the same time!
July 5, 2017
Kind of odd, kind of funny.
October 16, 2015
Very funny story, but it fizzles near the end. Overall a silly, cute first chapter book.
January 21, 2016
Buck the beaver has a large front tooth. He does not like his tooth and does not think he has a talent. Beginning chapter book
March 23, 2016
Really cute illustrations and entertaining story until the rather quick and predicable ending.
April 11, 2016
Well, this book was pretty much completely awful. I gave it two stars instead of one, though, because even though it was pretty awful, at least it didn't preach any potentially damaging message.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews