In between charging into battle and crossing the Delaware, Washington was losing teeth right and left. By the time the Redcoats fled, only five of his teeth remained. When he sat for his presidential portrait, he had only one!

His dentist provided him with false teeth. "George put them in, but when he smiled, / Springs snapped against his tongue. / Out flew those teeth—/ 'Aagh!' George shrieked. /  They've knocked out my last one!"

Washington was totally toothless. He created a plaster mold to show his dentist how to make a pair of false teeth he "hoped would hold." Using a hippo tusk, the dentist carved a set of false teeth, complete with gold screws that held each tooth in place. The invention worked: "Those new teeth fit just right. / And round the ballroom with his friends, / George danced all through the night!"

Appended is a four-page timeline of "Important events in George Washington's life," complete with a photo of his false teeth.

The playful, rhyming text is perfectly paired with Cole's humorous, cartoon illustrations.

Classroom Uses: This is an excellent read aloud for the very young as well as a read-alone for independent readers. You may want to consider this title for Dental Health Month in February.

Reviewed by the teachers at Education Oasis.