cover image I Have a Loose Tooth

I Have a Loose Tooth

Sally Noll. Greenwillow Books, $14 (1pp) ISBN 978-0-688-11191-5

In Noll's ( That Bothered Kate ; Jiggle Wiggle Prance ) latest engaging tale, no one is willing to share Molly's excitement about her loose tooth. Her mother is preoccupied with thoughts of Nanny's forthcoming birthday party, her father is engrossed in the paper, and an assortment of individuals mistake her announcement (``I have a loose tooth'') for something else (``Luce Ruth, what a lovely name''; ``You have a goose, too?''). But that evening, when Molly gives her grandmother a homemade birthday card containing a picture of herself and the words ``I hav a lus tuth,'' the momentous news finally receives the attention it deserves. Noll's delectable, large-scale gouache and colored-pencil illustrations are distinguished by rich, contemporary colors, including fetching shades of teal, rose and mauve. The book's age-appropriate theme, as well as its commendably sized, clean typeface, make this a winning choice for beginning readers. Ages 4-up. (Aug.)