Where Do Our Baby Teeth Go?
Mighty Twenty
By Vilasinee Bunnag, illustrated by Yasmin Doctor
32 pages
age 3-5, 5-8
Synopsis from Mighty Twenty:
A wonderfully interactive picture book to help kids understand, celebrate and document their milestone of losing baby teeth. “Where Do Our Baby Teeth Go?” is a modern take on tooth stories and traditions from around the world. From the US to Brazil to India to Nigeria to Sweden and more, each page is filled with endearing stories and details to pique any child&’s curiosity. The turn of each page reveals a stunningly vibrant illustration of a child sharing their story about losing baby teeth in their respective countries. In the last pages, the book invites readers to write their own tooth story in the book and also offers a diagram where readers will enjoy tracking which teeth they have lost and where in the world they were when the milestone occurred.
That precious gap that appears in your child’s smile is a milestone kids and adults mark, a sign that your baby is growing up, shedding the baby teeth for adult ones. From the first tooth to the last, my kids always show me their now removed pearly treasure with pride, preparing it for the tooth fairy vessel that sits in the bookcase in my room. The tooth fairy visits our house because the tooth fairy visited my house and my husband’s house when we were little. It’s a tradition passed on, a right of passage shared together. Where Do Our Baby Teeth Go? celebrates this time in our lives with a lovely story highlighting various traditions around the world. Burying teeth in the garden or tossing them on the roof, North American isn’t the only culture to celebrate the loss of a baby tooth but not everyone is visited by the tooth fairy.
I find the world our children know is based on what is around them which can be a limited perspective. Where Do Our Baby Teeth Go? is a great way to explore other cultures based on a milestone many kids celebrate. More than just a story, this book acts as a record keeper, enabling kids to record memories from their own tooth stories. Mighty Twenty also has a number of great ways to mark the passing of baby teeth like their DIY Tooth Pouch or a Tooth Fairy Milestone Journal and Pillow set (I like the Mountain with Moose myself but there are other sets).
Have your children started loosing their teeth? How do you mark the lose of a baby tooth?
Additional Reading: The Last First Tooth.
You can find a copy of Where Do Our Baby Teeth Go? from Mighty Twenty. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations.