Review by Booklist Review
Zach, a bear with a loose tooth, worries that the tooth fairy doesn't visit bears. Older sister Leah won't confirm or deny, best friend Harrison doesn't know, and Mom intones mysteriously, A bear can be anyone . . . and anyone can be a bear. When the tooth falls out, Zach is determined to stay awake and is rewarded with a visit from a tutu-clad teddy wearing a crown of flowers (it's Leah), who presents him with an apple. Satisfied, he falls asleep, completely missing the appearance of a diminutive flying blue bear that exchanges his tooth for a dollar bill. Levine addresses the concerns of many children who want to believe that magic exists and avails everyone. Brannen's sunny watercolor-and-pencil illustrations exude a reassuring feel, and include many interesting details (Zach's quilt features oak leaves; his pillow case acorns). Young listeners will also appreciate the fairy's parting gift transforming Zach's human doll and Sandy Koufax poster into bears. For other dental customs, see Penda Diakite's I Lost My Tooth in Africa (2006).--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Do mythic characters-especially ones that come bearing goodies-belong to us all, regardless of race, creed, or species? That's the big question Zach the bear cub struggles with as one of his front teeth starts wiggling. The Easter Bunny could only be a rabbit, and Zach is sure Santa is a bear, but the tooth fairy is an unknown quantity. What if she's human? Zach's mother says humans are "dangerous and unpredictable," but she also says, "A bear can be anyone.... And anyone can be a bear." While Zach is sleeping, readers learn that the tooth fairy is indeed a bear; not only does she exchange Zach's tooth for a dollar, she also turns his teddy boy and poster of a (human) baseball player into bears. In so doing, Levine (Monday Is One Day) underlines the need for heroes that "look like us" (he invokes Barack Obama and Sandy Koufax in his dedication). Brannen's (Uncle Bobby's Wedding) calm, pretty watercolor and pencil drawings offer a reassuring counterpoint to Zach's anxiousness, but the characterizations feel too wooden to make much of a connection. Ages 3-5. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A small bear named Zach is told by his mother that he should avoid humans because they are "dangerous and unpredictable," but he chances to hear a human mother tell her son, who has just lost a tooth, that he should expect a visit from the tooth fairy. Zach, who is also about to lose a tooth, starts to worry: is the tooth fairy human and dangerous? After reassurances from his sister and mother, all ends well. The uncluttered watercolor illustrations help tell the story and emphasize the theme that "anyone can be a bear and a bear can be anyone," as Zach's mother says. There seems to be too much going on for a young audience to absorb fully. The illustrations also add to the confusion. Zach and his sister are dressed similarly to the two human children; Zach carries a human boy doll and the boy carries a bear (both dressed alike); the fairy is a bear; she waves her wand and a male baseball player in a picture above Zach's bed and the cub's doll become bears instead of humans. Finally, his sister Leah dresses up like the tooth fairy to reassure him at one point. For a wonderful book about everyone being able to do and be anything they choose, suggest Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace (Dial, 1991).-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Zach, a bear child warned to stay away from people, has a loose tooth and wonders whether the tooth fairy is a bear or a person. Mother bear's reassurance--"a bear can be anyone," and "anyone can be a bear"--is odd. All's well, though, as a "very bear-y" tooth fairy fills her traditional role; soft watercolor and graphite illustrations contain some confusing touches. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young bear with a very loose tooth anticipates the visit of the mysterious, exciting and petrifying tooth fairy. Being an obedient bear, Zach knows to stay away from humans; as his mother says, "They are dangerous and unpredictable." One day, he wanders near a campsite and hears a young boy and his mother talking about a visit from the tooth fairy. Zach proceeds to ask his sister, Leah, and his friend, Harrison, about this night visitor: Just what kind of creature is this tooth-fairy, anyway? A human? Through the mischievous gift of a caramel from Leah, Zach's tooth indeed falls out, much to his terror. It will be a long night of waiting to see if the tooth fairy is truly "dangerous and unpredictable." Attentive readers will be rewarded by this tale of curiosity and redemption. Levine creates an emotional cliffhanger for the very young, supported by clever watercolor illustrations of a nearly parallel universe between the boy and the bear. The suspense of the plot shines bright, but the visual magic lasts. And although the story is about Zach, it is Leah who becomes magical. "A bear can be anyone," says Zach's mom. "And anyone can be a bear." Inspiring and clever, this story captures the simple joy and limitless possibility of belief. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
