Review: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 20, 2013
Before a parent reads this story, it should be explained that this story comes from another country. It might even be helpful to talk about the different names Santa Claus is called.Because this author has changed the city in her story to Americanize it, but has left a phrase no first grade student will know. SO WHAT! It's never too soon to teach our children that people from other countries speak languages other than English, they might wear clothes you can't find at T.J. Maxx, and it's possible they use different words or phrases to describe  things, even when they are speaking English.I'm referring to the phrase 'milk tooth' . We use the phrase 'baby tooth' to identify one of the first set of non- permanent teeth human beings have, the teeth we pull to make room for our permanent, adult teeth.The only time we say milk tooth is in reference to animals. Dogs and cats have milk teeth. So do horses. I'm no veterinarian, but it's a safe bet that all dumb (meaning without speech) mammals have milk teeth.It was a little strange that an author from outside the U.S.A. had the forethought to use an address in Florida for the main character, yet failed to use an American name for a child's first teeth.However, this provides the parent with a chance to teach.I really, really wish we had been shown the present the tooth fairy left. Since the tooth fairy on this side of the Atlantic leaves money, I spent most of the book wondering what kind of present would be left.I kept hoping it wasn't a pair of socks.But now, I've been left hanging. This book is like a murder mystery with the last few pages ripped out.