Open Wide by Laurie Keller

Open Wide by Laurie Keller

From the author/illustrator of The Scrambled States of America, here is a fun-filled introduction to teeth.

Before the principal's announcements, will you all please stand and recite our pledge: 'I pledge allegiance to this mouth and to the dentist who takes care of us. And to the gums on which we stand, strong and healthy, with toothbrushes and toothpaste for all.'

It's time for tooth school and Dr. Flossman is excited to meet the incoming class of 32--eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, and twelve molars, including the four wisdom teeth. There's just so much to learn--from brushing and flossing to dentin and pulp to every student's nightmare: tooth decay

Best read with a toothbrush in hand, this hilarious book is full of interesting facts (for instance, George Washington's teeth were not made of wood, despite popular belief) and a classroom full of quirky characters. Young readers will laugh their way to a better appreciation for those pearly whites that beckon them to brush. And from there it's just a short hop to flossing.

This title has Common Core connections.

Laurie Keller is the acclaimed author-illustrator of a number of books, including Do Unto Otters, The Scrambled States of America, and Open Wide: Tooth School Within. She was born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan, and has always enjoyed drawing, painting, and writing stories. She graduated with a B.F.A. She studied art and design at Kendall College of Art and Design and then worked as a greeting card illustrator for Hallmark for seven and a half years, until one night she had an idea for a children's book. She quit her job, relocated to New York City, and published her first novel shortly after. She enjoyed her time in New York, but she has now returned to her home state of Michigan, where she lives in a small cottage in the woods on Lake Michigan's shore.