The mightiest bite

PreS-Gr 3--Who has the mightiest bite? That's the question set forth in this funny comparative book. It starts with a girl declaring she has the mightiest bite because she has 20 teeth. She is quickly corrected by a rabbit munching a wide variety of things and then a dog whose bite can pull hard, and it escalates from there, each animal explaining why their bite is the mightiest. Readers will love the funny surprise ending. The artwork is bright and energetic, a perfect match for the comical text. There are compelling details in the pictures, including a crab who questions its place in the book. An excellent read-aloud and the comparison of the animals will find a wide audience, particularly with those readers who love the "Who Would Win?" books. VERDICT This is an interesting and humorous book with vivid colors and interesting pictures. A great choice for any library.--Debbie Tanner

Who, of all the animals, has the mightiest bite? A grinning, brown-skinned child has "20 teeth! That makes for a mighty bite. The mightiest bite in the world!" A succession of creatures, from a rabbit and dog on up, flash their dental credentials to assert the contrary. Cobra hisses, "I think you will find that I am the bitiest. And therefore the mightiest." And even a dinosaur weighs in: "Yes, it is I, T. rex, back from being extinct to inform you all that your bites are piddly compared to mine. Check. It. Out. 60 bone-crunchers." Unfortunately, the narrative's rousing language isn't reflected in Moran's cartoon illustrations, where big eyes and exaggerated expressions of dismay play larger than the jagged but not particularly prominent teeth on display. In the wake of much roaring and posturing, in flits a toothless mosquito, exciting general scoffing until the tiny creature proves its supremacy by biting one and all…all that is, except the human youngster. And why is the child alone skipped? Because the youngster comes prepared with a spray tube of bug repellent, thus proving that at least when it comes to the "mightiest brain," it's no contest. Young readers will enjoy seeing the toothy competition topped by its tiniest entrant, but the closing twist feels as though it comes a bit out of nowhere. Quirky, but it lacks bite. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.