George Washington's Teeth

by Chandra, Deborah; Comora, Madeleine; Cole, Brock

• ISBN13: 9780312376048
• ISBN10: 0312376049
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-12-26
• Publisher: Square Fish

Summary

The creators of George Washington's Teeth unhinge the jaws of history to examine the mouth of America's first president, tracking the poor man's dental woes as he gallops to war, crosses the Delaware, and, with only two teeth left, takes his place as leader of the country. Washington was plagued by black, rotting teeth from the time he was 22, losing about one a year until he was nearly "toofless" and had to have his first dentures made from a hippotamus tusk (that's right, not wood!). Poets Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora begin their quirky historical tale at a lively clip: "The Revolutionary War/ George hoped would soon be won,/ But another battle with his teeth/ Had only just begun..." Indeed. Evidently he was losing teeth even as he crossed the Delaware: "George crossed the icy Delaware/ With nine teeth in his mouth./ In that cold and pitchy dark,/ Two more teeth came out!" (Cleverly, illustrator Brock Cole mimics Emanuel Leutze's famous painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware," making Washington seem more uncomfortably tight-lipped than dignified.) The story ends happily ever after with the crafting of a nice new pair of ivory false teeth that allow George to dance around the ballroom through the night. Truth be told, however, he would be deeply troubled by his teeth until the day he died. A four-page, illustrated historic timeline of Washington's life (and mouth) completes this carefully researched, very funny, charmingly illustrated picture book that works to humanize a larger-than-life historical figure and in turn, history itself. Brilliant! (Ages 7 and older) --Karin Snelson

Author Biography

Deborah Chandra’s previous children’s books include A is for Amos, which Publishers Weekly called “a charmer” in a starred review. She lives in Altadena, California.

Madeleine Comora is an author and poet who lives in Glendale, California.

Brock Cole is the author and/or illustrator of many books, including the picture books Buttons, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book, and Larky Mavis. His newest picture book, Good Enough to Eat, will be released in Fall 2008 by FSG. He lives in Buffalo, New York.

Table of Contents

“A highly palatable historical morsel.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“This accurate and intriguing slice of history should find a place in any elementary school library.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review
 
“. . . breezy, sympathetic, carefully researched vignette . . . [one] that will have readers feeling the great man’s pain—and never looking at his painted visage the same way again.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Illustrator Cole is at his absolute best here, totally at ease with the human gesture and expression. . . . This is history for youngsters that will stick; it’s wild and fun and factual, without a trace of mockery.”—Booklist, Starred Review

 

“[A] carefully researched, very funny, charmingly illustrated picture book that works to humanize a larger-than-life historical figure and in turn, history itself. Brilliant!”—Amazon.com

Supplemental Materials

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