Mabel, a blue-skinned, green-haired, pink-winged fairy is, unfortunately, almost toothless. (The result of not brushing, flossing, and visiting her dentist regularly.) One day she hits upon the perfect idea: She will become a tooth fairy! With all the teeth she collects—and some really, really, really, really sticky glue—she will make herself a new set of choppers!

"After a while, Mabel had an impressive selection of molars, bicuspids, canines, and lateral incisors. But no matter how many teeth she tried, she never found the perfect fit."

Alas, after all her hard work, she finds herself alone with no friends and no teeth to call her own.

So, it's off to the WikiWikiWacky Seaside Resort for a little R&R. She beachcombs, she snorkels, she plays tennis, she lies on the beach supping on applesauce and Jell-O through a straw. Such is the life of a toothless fairy.

One day, at a sand castle contest, she meets Dr. Les Payne, who just happens to be a dentist. With their mutual affinity for teeth, they become quick friends. Life was good for Mabel. But soon she realizes all the little toothless tykes are missing her. She simply has to get back to work! Would this be the end of her one and only friendship?

No! Luckily Les has a plan. Mabel will be his dental assistant during the day and the tooth fairy at night. Of course, working for a dentist has its perks—like free floss and comprehensive dental coverage. And so our toothy tale ends with Mabel dazzling us with her new, bright, white smile.

The story itself is clever and quite funny. The colorful, cartoon-like illustrations make it doubly so.

Classroom Experience: We took Mabel into a classroom for a read-aloud. The split-age classroom of first and second graders gave her five stars (their highest rating) and asked for it to be read again. Mabel is still there and currently has a waiting list of eager readers.

Reviewed by the teachers at Education Oasis.
©2004 Education Oasis® http://www.educationoasis.com