The Missing Tooth

Author: Joanna Cole

Illustrator: Marylin Hafner

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade level: K-3

Arlo and Robby were the best of friends! They both had the same things like bikes, peanut butter ice cream and much more. They even have a tooth missing in the same spot. They wore the same thing to school one day even. They match all over even their teeth match. Robby said he had a wiggly tooth and Arlo wanted to be the same so he pretended that his was loose too even though it wasn't. They made a deal that whoever's tooth comes out first owes the other one 10 cents. Robby's tooth finally came out and Arlo was sad because they are not the same. Arlo was jealous of Robby and was mean to Robby. Robby went home and Arlo was lonely. One of Robby's card fell out of his deck and Arlo saw it and wanted to keep it. He figured it would make Robby sad if he took it. He gave back the card to Robby and they said sorry and Robby gave back his 10 cents but Arlo let him keep it and they went to go play. Arlo's mouth bumped on the bar and he lost a tooth in a different place than Robby's. They were still best friends anyway. 

This is a good story to teach children about differences. It is okay to be different than others. We can still befriend them. It also teaches that if there is an argument, there is always forgiveness and communication skills that can get them through it. It also has a beautiful message of doing the right thing. 

The illustrations in this book are colorful realistic looking drawings. They fill the entire page up with warm and cool colors with the writing in the white space of the illustrations.