Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth

by Alison McGhee, Harry Bliss (Illustrator)

Sure, first-grade teacher Mrs. Watson may look human, but it is a known and proven fact that she is actually a three-hundred-year-old alien who steals baby teeth from her students.

Thank goodness for a second grader's warning, because this little first grader has a She has a loose tooth! Her first! How will she make it through an entire year without opening her mouth?

Told with the same gentle wit as in their first irresistible collaboration, Countdown to Kindergarten , this lighthearted take on losing one's first tooth will have children and parents laughing aloud.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Childrens, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Back To School

36 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

Alison McGhee writes novels, picture books, poems, and essays for all ages, including the just-published THE OPPOSITE OF FATE, a novel, and the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller SOMEDAY, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She lives in Minneapolis and California.

Reviews

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl has a secret. She has a loose tooth. Thank goodness a second grader warned her about Mrs. Watson. She really an alien with a purple tongue who steals baby teeth from her students. Can the little girl keep her mouth closed during the school year? How will she save her tooth from Mrs. Watson?

This laugh-out-loud book will delight readers. It touches on the tall tales of the second grader and the fears of a first grader. She fears loosing her tooth and of a new classroom and teacher. The tall tales is found out to be false by the anxious student, who is delighted by the mysterious treat box. This story will tickle children's funny bone.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most pitch-perfect, laugh-out-loud books I've encountered in awhile. The fear of a teacher, as well as the ways that older kids tell exaggerated stories to scare younger ones, will instantly be familiar to anyone who is or was a child.

The hilarious, blink-and-you'll-miss-it illustrations are an absolute delight. And naturally, I loved to see that our heroine was biting into a burger...at "Vegan King!"

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute hoot to read to a group of first graders as part of their dental hygiene unit. You could have heard a pin drop as Mrs Watson approaches the heroine of this tale. Warned by a savvy second grader that her teacher is really a 300 year old alien who steals first grade students' baby teeth, the little girl is terrified to open her mouth in class because she has a very loose tooth. Can she go all year with out parting her lips for even a snack or to answer a question?

My reading was complimented by teachers and parent volunteers through out the day. Lovely to have the compliments but really, a book like this, with the brilliant Harry Bliss illustrations did all the heavy lifting.

I had to laugh out loud at the picture of the fearful first grader approaching her classroom door. On the wall of the hallway is a poster for the movie Marathon Man, complete with pliers. YOu know you are OLD when you have to explain THAT joke to the lovely young woman who was the library aide. She had not seen the movie.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - I think I'd rate this higher if Julia were older. As it is we're just not ready for this yet. Julia reads a good bit past her age group but this is taking it too far.
This is another one I have no idea where it came from also. I think books just find their way to this house or something. Not that I'm complaining of course.
We read this yesterday in our quest to read all of the books Julia owns before starting any other library books. (We're nearly finished.)
We can surmise what the book is about yes? I liked the plot, the new 1st grader, the "older" kid who passes these rumors to get the new one anxious, the interaction with the teacher, etc. And it's written well, but again this is something that's better off in the hands of a kid who can read the entire thing themselves. It doesn't work well if you're reading out loud/listening to someone else read.

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alison McGhee throws in amusing details throughout her illustrations so it's best to go through the pages with care, first reading the main text and then spotting various thought bubbles and sight gags. With each re-read you discover a joke that you missed the previouis times. So even though my daughter has a ways to go before reaching the practical joke making and tooth losing/regaining years, this deligtful book is a frequent bedtime read.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes pearl necklaces really are just pearl necklaces.

[Jameelah Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth by Alison McGhee associates with the genre of fictional picture books which is suited for young preschoolers through third grade. The story follows a little girl who’s going to the first grade but when a second grader warned her about the alien baby tooth-snatching Mrs. Watson the first-grade teacher, she starts to freak out because of her loose tooth secret. The little girl was determined to keep her mouth closed the whole school year, but then eventually her tooth falls out, and she discovers that Mrs. Watson is a nice teacher after all. It's quite a realistic yet humorous depiction of fear like the first day of school anxiety that all kids go through at some point. I rated this story a five because It’s a hilarious outlook on hearing rumors such as this one and it was one of my favorite stories as a child. It still holds up as a great book for good laughs. I would highly recommend reading this story to children because it introduces the topic of handling dental hygiene, and not always listening to false rumors. It’s a good tool to ease some anxiety among kids in new classroom settings. Lastly, the illustrations by Harry Bliss gave the story additional buzz which may delight readers. The priceless little jokes and funny expressions of the characters made it very entertaining.

[Shamika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text-to-Teaching
This reading was very interesting and captivating. It surrounds a little girl that is going to the first grade. However, she has a loose tooth, and she keeps hearing rumors about her new teacher. Supposedly, her teacher steals baby teeth from her students and keeps them stored in her treasure box. Frightened, the little girl spent her first day of school speechless. Eventually, she discovered that her teacher was not an alien that stole baby teeth but that she was just the opposite, a nice teacher. At this age, where students are losing a lot of teeth, I think it would be a cool activity for each student to count how many teeth that they have missing. In addition, provide a coloring sheet with a face or a mouth with teeth, representing the teeth that are missing, and for them to color it different colors.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it's fun. It's quite realistic how 'big and wise and mature' students one grade above you can seem in elementary school, and this girl felt it big time. I like how she wanted to do all the fun school things, but her fear held her back. But alas, in the end, she saw that the teacher was great. :-)

One of the best parts of the book is the artwork. The quality of the artwork isn't that great, but there are three or four stories being told behind the scenes in the artwork that aren't even remotely related to the main theme of the book, and they're fun to find. :-)

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute silly story about rumors, also relating to the common theme of ‘first day of school’ anxiety. The story is an easy read, low stakes, with a bit of an interpretive lesson. I would grade this for readers 8 and up, though I’d just know this would be an amazing book for a read aloud! Kids would get such a kick out of an alien teacher stealing teeth.

I would recommend this book for any student, though specifically for any students who find themselves susceptible to believing rumors. The lesson: see it for yourself first!

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for 1st or 2nd graders. A young 1st grader hears on the bus that her new 1st grade teachers is an alien who craves baby teeth. This is particularly frightening to our young protagonist, who has a loose tooth that could come out at any moment. The story combines with the illustrations to create a really fun book to read. My 2nd grader loved studying the pictures and it really added to the humor of the story. I would recommend this as a great read aloud.

[Kiyoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are much better than the story. The book is not a great "read aloud" unless you are a good voice actor and can dramatize the interactions. Did I mention the illustrations?

Loli-pop: Lasts for twenty years
Sorry, No tooth - no cash! Best, T. Fairy
Book Fair - Buy these terrific titles! Life on the Road by Toothfairy. Floss through the Ages by D. Cay. Harry Plotter and the Huge Cavity by J.K. Salinger

Star rating is for the Illustrations.... The text rates a low 3

[Pamela Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed my way through this book! The main character starts First Grade with a loose tooth. On the bus to school for the first day, a Second grader tells her that her new teacher, Mrs. Watson, is really an alien who takes children's teeth. The girl is determined to keep her mouth closed the whole school year, but then her tooth falls out anyway. She discovers that Mrs. Watson is really a nice teacher after all.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations tell a whole other story! It's a great read-aloud, but also a book for readers to study on their own too... the boy picking his nose, the kid on the ceiling of the bus, the kid who's so loud his neighbor puts duct tape over his mouth... and what's the story with the 2nd grader spreading tales? The book never says, so it's a good example to use for inferring.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enough picture books cover the loose tooth territory. This is the first to turn the loss of a tooth into a horror story, and the first grade teacher as a wicked monster who collects teeth to take back to her alien overlord. Humorous and original!

And as always, the illustrations are clever and rich.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some readers might consider this a cute premise:

It is a known fact that Mrs. Watson, the first-grade teacher, she is a three-hundred-year-old alien who steals baby teeth from her students.

How do I know? A second grader told me."

The story unfolds cleverly and there's indisputably a happy ending.

FIVE STARS

[Smita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these stories all centered around A trepidatious girl who is afraid of her new teacher and what the new school year will bring. She quickly discovers that her teacher is warm and friendly. A wonderful series to help kids learn to prepare for change.

[Ashley Verity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of laughs from this one. Made the kids think about how truthful strange kids can be

[Maki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book about losing your teeth in grade one.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book that the story time kids enjoyed.

[Mellanie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable. A first grader with a loose tooth on the first day of school gets pranked by a second grader. Loved it.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Retour en classe, nouvelle prof, commérage d'une ancienne élève. Intrigue amusante qui fait de la prof une voleuse de dent. La conclusion bien amenée. Sympa.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story about why you shouldn't believe everything your friends say.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is a great example to students of why they should not always listen to the tales that older students tell them about their teachers. The book is illustrated really well and would draw in students eyes.

[Courtney Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth, is a very cute. The story is about the first day of school and the rumors about the first grade teacher. On the way to school, a second grader told the little girl that the teacher was a 300 year old alien, who has a purple tongue, and uses little kids teeth as necklaces and earnings. The little girl decides that she isn't going to talk to the whole day so the teacher doesn't take her loose tooth. In the end, the little girl realizes how sweet her teacher is and that she's not an alien who has a purple tongue and uses kids teeth as jewelry.

This book would be a great read to little ones starting school, to show that their teachers are not mean people. It would also be a good book, because the little girl looses a tooth and she is rewarded with a choice of candy from the treat box. This shows kids that it's okay to loose baby teeth, even while you are at school.

I could use this book for speech therapy to talk to clients about what would you do if you lost a tooth at school. You could go over with the client the steps they would need to do if the they lost a tooth. You could also talk about rumors and how you shouldn't trust crazy rumors like the girl did in the book.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have never had the experience of reading this or Harry Bliss's book about kindergarten with a kid who is entering the school going world-you must! The active imagination of 5-7 year olds coupled with their willingness to believe their older, much more experienced counterparts makes for some interesting perceptions. Bliss captures that in a relatable, comical way that appeals to both kids who can sympathize with the experience and the adults who have watched them maneuvering their way through a whole new world.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A first grader is frightened on her first day of school after hearing a rumor that her teacher is a 300-year-old alien with a purple tongue who steals baby teeth from her students.


Reading Practice, Vocabulary Practice


Book Level: 2.4

Interest Level: Lower Grades (LG K-3)

Fiction/Nonfiction: Fiction

Topic - Subtopic: Community Life-School; Emotions-Fear; People-Teachers; Popular Groupings-Lower Grades School Days

[Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book to the first one "Countdown to Kindergarten". This book talks about a girl going into 1st grade that is told roamers about the teachers that of course aren't true. It is very cute and a must read if you are losing those baby teeth! I'm glad our daughter picked out this book. She really enjoyed it and the first book in the series as well. This book is written in a comic bubble form which makes for fast fun reading.

[Asha Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is book is a good book to read toy first graders because this is when their bodies began to change. They start losing teeth and finding out who the "tooth fairy" is. This book makes it eaiser for a child to accept the change and that it will open to them. Its about a first grader who talks with a second grader and they tell her that her new teacher Mrs. Watson is an alien who steals children's teeth to survive! Its funny and the class will laugh at how silly the little girl acts!

[Raven Grider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for a whole group read aloud, especially at the first grade level. The main character heard on the bus that the teacher she was going to have in first grade took teeth to wear for jewelry, etc. The use of this book would be great for children losing their teeth, as well as for children worrying about starting school in a new grade. Overall, the author keeps children's attention and keeps them clinging to the edge of their seats!