The Tooth
Marissa’s tooth aches, so Mother takes her downtown to the dentist. Across the street, Marissa spies a homeless man, sitting on a grate collecting money in a shoe box. Later, Marissa observes the man again as people walk by, stepping over him, sometimes dropping coins in his box. Finally, after her extraction, Marissa pulls away from her mother to drop her tooth into the man’s box, telling him to put it under his pillow that night. Slodovnick’s quiet story, first published in Montreal as La carie (2009), emphasizes Marissa’s naïveté and how different the city experience can be for haves and have-nots. Gauthier’s mixed-media illustrations are well suited to the thoughtful text; the city is portrayed mostly in gray tones, with focal characters colored for emphasis. Although the text acknowledges that Marissa’s gift won’t fix this problem (for starters, the man has no pillow), it’s sure to spark discussion. Preschool-Grade 2. --Kay Weisman