Susan Grigsby

How does Dr. Carver get those big cabbages and onions? Dr. Carver is a plant doctor with a moveable classroom. He teaches how to develop soil. Soil is important because the food that the plants need comes directly from the soil. Dr. Carver also teaches how to make foods from other foods, such as butter and sugar from sweet potatoes and peanuts. It you want to know why your garden isn't doing so well, Dr. Carver says to listen to your plants. And before you go killing anything in your garden, make sure that you know first the relationship between that bug and your garden. You just might be killing something that your garden needs. And if anybody asks where you got that information from, tell them you learned it from Dr. George Washington Carver, a African American botanist and inventor.… (altro)

I don't know where I first saw this, but it looked really interesting and I've been intending to read it for... a while. I finally picked it up, and it was just as fun as it looked!

The opening endpapers have six fun questions, or "toothy tidbits" with answers on the back endpages. This sets the stage for a funny and informative journey through the world of dentition. There are sections explaining the general organization of mammal teeth, the different teeth used by rodents, insects, and fish, and the different uses for teeth from eating to defense, from hunting to tools. Not just wild animals are covered, but pets, dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. There are in-depth sections on primary (baby) teeth and permanent teeth, the history of tooth cleaning, dental hygiene, and even braces and orthodontia.

Back matter includes a variety of resources from online sites to museums, sources, acknowledgements, glossary, index, and credits.

I can see multiple uses for this handy and interesting book. Hand it to kids to dip into if they're interested in the human body, animals, teeth, dinosaurs, or history. Use it as a resource prior to dentist trips, wiggly teeth, or to soothe worries about the fate of baby teeth or future braces. Use it as a starting point for research, or just to pick up interesting facts to repeat (I'm thinking of teaching the seven-year-olds to say they're feeling grumpy because their lateral incisors are coming in...)

Verdict: Fun, informative, and definitely fills a gap, this is a toothsome book you will definitely want to have on your shelves. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781633221239; Published 2017 by Seagrass/Quarto; Borrowed from another library in my consortium… (altro)