Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth

by Lucy Bate, Diane de Groat (Illustrator)

What should Little Rabbit do with her loose tooth when it comes out in a dish of chocolate ice cream?
Throw it away?
Wear it on a necklace?
Draw stars around it and hang it on the wall?
Try to buy some candy with it?
Or leave it under her pillow for the tooth fairy?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Family, Teeth, Rabbits

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Born in DC, moved to Baltimore, then NYC as a young child. Got a BA in English at Brandeis, then moved back to NYC to work in editing. Got married and moved to Boston, where she lived until her death. She has two daughters, Gabrielle (Gabby) and Rebecca.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this five stars because my six-year-old self absolutely LOVED this book! I was infatuated with everything about it, from the food little rabbit ate while waiting for her tooth to come out, to the way it got stuck in her chocolate ice cream, to the ideas she had of what to do with it after, to her musings about the tooth fairy and what the tooth fairy might do with the tooth. I was so delighted to find it on the shelves at the library--brought back a big ol' rush of memories!!! I'd probably give it four stars today, but, then again, I think I was probably a better judge of stuff like this when I was six and had my own loose tooth.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Rabbit experiences one of the common childhood rites of passage in this charming picture-book, first published in 1975, and a favorite with young readers ever since! To wit: she loses her first tooth, a momentous occasion that takes place at the dinner table, as she is eating chocolate ice cream. Wondering what she should do with the tooth - throw it away? make a necklace of it? leave it for the tooth-fairy? - she explores the options with her patient parents, who allow her to make her own decisions, and come to her own conclusions.

I really liked the fact that Lucy Bate neither confirms nor denies the existence of the tooth fairy in her narrative, and that Little Rabbit's parents - whose comments seem so typically parental, in a familiar and funny way - are so obviously involved, without seeming overly cloying, in their affection. The author really has the rhythms of family dinner discussion down pat, just as the illustrator, Diane de Groat, has her characters' lapine charm captured perfectly, in her artwork. All in all, a cute exploration of an experience that young readers will immediately recognize as something that they too have undergone.

[Carmen Hartono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delicately illustrated and beautifully written story that will bring any reader into the world of a child's imagination.

[Mir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this as a little child with my first loose tooth. It completely counteracted any anxiety I felt about losing the tooth.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most realistic depictions of parents conversing with a child EVER. We laugh ourselves silly over its truthful (toothful?) portrayal of how little ones communicate. Amazing!

[Barbara Everette]

Little Rabbit has a Loose tooth and she talk to her parents about what's he should do. They told her to eat what she wants with the other teeth but eat soft stuff with the loose tooth. The tooth falls out in some chocolate ice cream. She ask what she should do with it. They suggest that she put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy. Little Rabbit decides she don't want the tooth fairy to keep her tooth. She thinks of things she could do with her tooth.She then tells me mother what if she believes in the the tooth fairy. Her mother explains that the tooth fairy will leave her a dime. She leaves mother and go have a conversation with her father about the tooth fairy and tells him what she thought the tooth fairy would do with her tooth. Father told her it was bedtime. Mother comes in kiss her goodnight and Little Rabbit tells mother if the tooth fairy don't come will she sneak in a leave a dime in the envelope under her pillow. The next morning the tooth fairy had came and the dime was in the envelope.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, loved this picture book. It has all the elements that makes a picture book that is loved by children and enjoyed by adults.

Little Rabbit has a loose tooth. She eats very carefully for a week, but it falls out anyway. She is not sure if she believes in the tooth fairy, so she contemplates what she should do with her tooth.

She finally decides she might believe in the tooth fairy and if there isn't one she has a back up plan that is fail proof.

The story is engaging and adorable and the illustrations are outstanding. This book belongs in your child's library!

[Noor Mahmood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes a little spin on the tooth fairy tale. Little Rabbit has a loose tooth and has trouble heating so her mother gives her soft foods. while she was eating one day her tooth came out in her food. Her mother told her she could throw it away or leave It under her pillow for the tooth fairy to find it and she did and in-return the "tooth Fairy " leaves her a dime. This book reminded me of being younger and I'm sure children would enjoy hearing this story. The illustrations are both dull and vibrant at the same time and are beautiful drawings.

[Amanda Batarseh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very cute book about a little rabbit who is losing her tooth and she is eating soft foods to help fight losing the tooth really fast. The pictures are very classical looking and descriptive and enjoyable to look at. While she was eating ice cream her tooth fell out so she wash the tooth and and wanted the Tooth Fairy to come get her tooth for her and she wanted to make sure that you do lose her tooth. So she put it in an envelope and waited for the tooth fairy and she got money from the tooth fairy. Very good book for kids

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, the author of this book must certainly be a parent, because it was spot-on in the manner in which the parents responded to Little Rabbit. All of the conversations had me laughing because they were so true to life. F checked this book out from the library and she and L have each read it at least twice now. It really is very cute. I especially liked all of Little Rabbit's ideas for various things she could do with her tooth and different ways the tooth fairy might use the teeth. L particularly liked the idea of the teeth being given to new baby rabbits waiting to be born.

[Melanie Duvic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty adorable book about a small rabbit who is losing her tooth and is consuming soft things to slow down the process. The illustrations have a highly classical appearance, are well-detailed, and are pleasing to look at. She was enjoying ice cream when her tooth fell out; she washed the tooth and hoped the Tooth Fairy would come get it from her. She then placed it in an envelope and awaited the tooth fairy, who then gave her money. This would be an excellent children's book to read in a first or second grade classroom. 

[Darci Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth is a great book for a read-aloud or to have in the first and second grade classrooms as students begin to lose their teeth too. There is a cute story in it, as Little Rabbit is debating on what to do with her tooth now that she has lost it and ultimately decides to give it to the tooth fairy. You could have students write or share their own experiences with their loose teeth and what they did with them.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Target audience surely would appreciate this more than I. What I liked about it was the matter-of-fact way the parents talked to the little one... sort of reminded me of the Frances books iirc, eg Bread and Jam for Frances (I'll need to reread it to be sure).

[Julia Bilderback · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had been one of my books as a kid that I decided to go back and read as an adult. The first thing that popped into my mind reading it was "but rabbits' front teeth don't work like that." If I were to have kids I do not know if I would give them this book or not. Yes it is a cute story about loosing teeth, but at the same time it teaches them bad animal anatomy. I do value truth over just good story telling so I can't really recommend this book.

[Tessa Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Little Rabbit's tooth starts to come loose, she doesn't know how to possibly eat with it. Her mother tells her to eat hard foods with her other teeth and soft foods with her loose tooth. Little Rabbit eventually looses her tooth in the soft food and wonders what will happen to her tooth. Eventually she leaves it for the toothfairy and is rewarded with a dime.

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little rabbit has a lose tooth and has to be careful what she eats. Then she loses it in her ice cream. Then she wants to keep it but decides to believe in the toothfairy. But just in case there is no toothfairy she asks mom to put a surprise under her pillow.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it when I was a kid. The drawings are... A little different to how I remember but still they were captivating when I was a child. So many charming details in the house. So yep, recommend it. I still like the colour palette very much, lots of oranges, blues and browns.

[Christopher Johnston · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fiction
Primary Grades (2-3)
I was exhausted reading this book. It's too long. The plot is slow, the illustrations poor. Not recommended.

[Leah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. A lot of back and forth between the three bunnies, which was a bit confusing for my daughter with “mother said” and “said father” in every other sentence, but overall it was cute.

[spookybelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for tooth fairy propaganda and indoctrinating kids into capitalism if those are things you're into.

[Ruthie Oberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is most fun to read when you read the part of Little Rabbit with a lisp for her loose tooth. One of my favorites for the 1st grade set.

[Beverlee Jobrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another favorite from my childhood that I found on my shelf and read to my kids. This one wasn't as good as I remember it being, but a cute story still.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Rabbit was afraid to eat her carrots because she had a loose tooth. Her mom and dad told her she would be okay, so she ate different foods each day. When her tooth came out in a funny way, she then wondered what to do with it. Her mother told her about the tooth fairy, and what happened next is really quite cute. Beautifully illustrated.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another rabbit story (I have a lot of these since my nickname is Bunny). It's about losing a tooth. My favorite story elements are: 1. The part where Little Rabbit thinks about what she wants to do with her tooth (one example is to take it to the store and try to use it to buy candy), 2. What Little Rabbit thinks the Tooth Fairy will do with her tooth and 3. Really anything Little Rabbit says. Her dialogue really sounds convincingly child-like to me. I wonder if they have the Tooth Fairy in other cultures. Traditions around what people do with their teeth would be a really interesting book. I also like the illustrations in this book, primary colors cleverly blended with black to give a surreal yet soft look to the book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's no shortage of book written about the subject of loose teeth. It is, after all, a momentous event in the life of a child. Prior to sixteen this is THE rite of passage (and a potentially lucrative one, too!) Bate's version is adequate, it delivers the story well and the illustrations are decent. No bells and whistles but worth the time nevertheless.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this book out of my elementary school's library over & over! The illustrations are so old looking to me now - I wonder what I saw in them! But I still love this book because it stayed with me for so long! I think I also loved it because of what she loses her tooth in...chocolate ice cream! :)

[Sam Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a shock to see this book on display at my library recently... I immediately recognized it as one of my childhood favorites! Reading this as an adult, what really strikes me about this book is the way the text and illustrations work together. There's nothing terribly fancy about it, but the book just works well.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you believe in the tooth fairy? Most little children still do and even if they straddle the fence a little, the idea of getting a present(money) for a present(tooth),regardless of who gives it) is still fun and often necessary.

[Kate Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my first favorite books! I always loved the colored pencil marks in the illustrations. I also remember getting hungry for pudding and strawberries when I read this book! lol It's a great book to read to kids with their first wiggly tooth.