Just Going to The Dentist
Author: Mercer Mayer
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright: 1990
Pages: 23
Reading Level: 1.8
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: *****

Summary:
Critter is going to the dentist. He didn’t want to go, but his mother took him anyways. When they got there they had to wait, so Critter go to play with toys and read some books and he saw a girl with braces that he thought looked very cool. So far it wasn’t too bad. Then the nurse took him to the back and the machine looked like a spaceship but the nurse let him SPIT! That was cool, not scary at all. Then they took some xrays and the dentist looked in his mouth with a mirror on a stick. When he was all done he told Critter he had a cavity but that they could fix it right there. So Critter wouldn’t feel the drilling though the dentist had to give him a shot…so Critter closed his eyes and…he hardly felt a thing! His mouth was numb, and the tools were loud but he didn’t feel a thing. On his way out he even got a free sucker. Going to the dentist wasn’t so bad after all, only thing was it made him tired.

Who would benefit from reading this?
Kids who are afraid of the dentist! This book explains everything that happens at the dentist and takes the scary factor out of it.

Potential problems/conflicts:
The only problem I see is that well the book is kind of a lie, it does hurt to get a shot and you do feel, but kids don’t need to know that:)

My reaction:
I love the Critter books! I don’t know any kid that doesn’t. They are very informative and make new experiences so much less frightening for kids. If you haven’t read these books you should! There is nothing more to say than they are fun. They also have fun pictures!