School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-In a series of brief letters, Emma thanks the Tooth Fairy for the money left behind for her first tooth, then politely asks to borrow it back to show to Grandpa. The fairy obliges, but brings a hippopotamus's tooth by mistake, and its owner comes to the girl's room to claim it. After a succession of wrong attempts, during which a hedgehog, a skunk, an elephant, and an alligator visit Emma, the Tooth Fairy is finally successful-and better prepared for the next time. Olson's text is simple and effective and the nicely understated tone gives free rein to the whimsical illustrations. The perspective of the jewel-toned oil paintings is slightly askew, giving them a sense of liveliness and motion. One double spread depicts the frazzled fairy searching for Emma's tooth in her cluttered office, and sharp-eyed readers will be able to spot it. This charming effort will work well for a smaller-sized storytime and is just perfect for reading one-on-one.-Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster Area Library, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Emma writes to the Tooth Fairy requesting her tooth back for one day to show to her visiting grandfather. But the teeth that keep appearing are all wrong--sharp and pointy, long tusks, or itty-bitty. Luckily all of the right animals arrive to claim the mistakes. Finally, the confused fairy gets it right. Told entirely in Emma's letters, this is an entertaining tooth fairy story that doesnÆt end up being sticky sweet. From HORN BOOK Fall 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
As if having to collect all the world's unattached baby teeth isn't hard enough, some children want them back. Young Emma's polite request to borrow her tooth to show Grandpa brings a succession of not-quite-right substitutes, from an elephant's tusk to a hedgehog's sand-grain-sized nubbin--and a train of original owners charging into her bedroom to reclaim them. Using richly colored oils, Tillotson (Songs of Papa's Island, not reviewed) illustrates this epistolary episode with close-up views of a matronly sprite with a distinctly harried air, and a rumpled redhead in purple pajamas who gratefully sends a thank-you note--and another tooth--when the frantic fairy finally gets it right. Children will enjoy this merry romp, Olson's debut, and if they want to know what the tooth fairy does with all those teeth, look for answers in, among other books, Peter Collington's Tooth Fairy (not reviewed) or William Hooks's Mystery of the Missing Tooth (not reviewed). (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
