For the folklore section of this class I chose the book Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World by Shelby Beeler and illustrated by G. Brian Karas.
In this book you will travel around the world and learn about what kids from over 60 different countries do when their baby teeth fall out! You'll be surprised to find out just how many variations of the "tooth fairy" there are.
Beeler does a wonderful job organizing the book by continent/region and even includes a map for reference. This would be a wonderful book to use for learning about different cultures, traditions, myths, and folklore. The accompanying illustrations show just how unique children are in the varying countries. The illustrations depicted would be a fun way to discuss how cultures and nationalities are portrayed in a stereotypical way. For example, the boy from France is depicted in a striped shirt and red beret, while the girl from Germany is adorned in lederhosen. While these may be traditional attire to represent their nation, it is not considered everyday wear.
Overall, I think the book would be great for younger readers, K-3, that are beginning to lose their teeth or have already experienced a visit from the tooth fairy. It would be a great book to pull out at a teachable moment or to begin a discussion on diversity within family traditions. The biggest negative is that it is a rather long book and can become tedious to read since many of the traditions are similar or the same. Beller and Karas tried to keep up the energy by making each child's statement in the first person as if an actual child was telling a friend and providing plenty of fun illustrations to go along with each account. It would even be fun to give each student a page to share with the class.
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