Module 11 - George Washington Teeth

Module 11- George Washington’s Teeth

Summary

The story George Washington’s Teeth tells about George Washington’s struggle with his teeth. George lost teeth at during the American Revolution and crossing the icy Delaware.

Reference of Book

Chandra, D., & Comora, M. (2003). George Washington's teeth. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Impression

Fun and clever book that showed George Washington’s struggle with his teeth. Children can identify with losing teeth and the pain.  The story has a nice time line at the end of the book. The book talked about the American Revolution and crossing the Delaware, which could get children interested in history.

Professional Reviews

George Washington’s Teeth

In a clever approach to history, Chandra and Comora string together spry stanzas describing the dental difficulties that plagued George Washington. Rhyming verse explains how the general's rotten teeth gradually fall out during the Revolutionary War: "George crossed the icy Delaware/ With nine teeth in his mouth./ In that cold and pitchy dark,/ Two more teeth came out!" Cole complements this verse by rendering a sly watercolor twist on Emanuel Leutze's famous painting George Washington Crossing the Delaware, in a full-spread treatment: Washington still stands in quiet dignity, but the boatmen are grinning. By the time Washington is elected president, just two teeth remain in his mouth. Kids will love the details, such as the way Washington uses a pair of his molars to fashion a mold from which the dentist makes a set of dentures (these are carved from hippopotamus ivory, and even shown, in a photograph in the afterword). Infusing his bustling watercolor vignettes with comic hyperbole, Cole easily keeps pace with the lighthearted narrative. One especially funny image shows the president sprawled on the floor, legs in the air, after viewing a newly painted portrait ("George stood up to have a look—/ He fell back on his fanny./ 'It doesn't look like me!' he roared./ 'It looks like Martha's granny!' "). An annotated timeline at the end includes quotes from the leader's letters and diaries chronicling his relentless efforts to hide his dental problems and the extent to which they caused him chronic pain and embarrassment. A highly palatable historical morsel. All ages.

Georg Washington’s Teeth (2003). Review of George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora.  Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-32534-3

Librarian Use

This book would be good to share Presidents Day or the month of February. It shows the First Presidents character and the struggles that he had. It could also be tied to dental health.