The Dragon's Toothache

(Hardback, 3rd Revised edition)

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Description

What could be stranger than a dragon's toothache A motley crew comes to the rescue of the dragon in pain, but do they manage to help him Annie Besant's quirky humor and Rayika Sen's imaginative illustrations make this book a joy to read over and over again.

Reviews

A resourceful narrator finds a way to alleviate a dragon's pain. A child with spiky pigtails, long bangs, and big eyes meets a red dragon crying for help. The child is carrying a bag with many objects that prove useful. The flashlight reveals "an old bone stuck in a broken tooth." Bravely walking into the dragon's maw, the child is swallowed and meets a rooster, a dentist, a puppy, a cat, a goat, and a monkey, all of whom have failed to cure the dragon's toothache. Inventively, the narrator directs the monkey to stand on the goat, the rooster to go on top of the monkey, and so on. Balancing on the very top, the child uses some twine to lasso a tooth and climb out, then helps the others. She extracts the bone, and Dr. Dentist uses clay to cover the tooth. Everyone goes on their way, and after giving the dragon a toothbrush, the junior dental expert goes home to a dinner of well-deserved custard pies. The bright, highly saturated collaged illustrations picture the child in Indian clothing, albeit with a very hip look, but aside from this and the monkey, there is nothing particularly South Asian about this story. A whimsical quest, pure fun to read aloud, that may even remind kids to brush their teeth. (Picture book. 4-7)-- "Kirkus Review"

Author Bio

Annie Besant: Annie Besant is a children's book author, poet and editor based in Chennai, India. She grew up reading everything she could get her hands on and discovered that she too could shape words to take her into a rabbit hole. Since then, she has been creating ink and paper worlds for children to discover.

Rayika Sen is a visual communication designer based in Kolkata, India. She graduated from the prestigious Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, and her primary interests include illustrating, designing, printmaking and experimenting with alternative story telling methods.