Dentists and What They Do by L. Slegers

Abstract

Slegers, Liesbet. Dentists and What They Do. Clavis Publishing Inc., 2017.

Intended to be read by parents with their toddlers, Dentists and What They Do is a fun, highly informative guide to a first visit to the dentist's office. Brightly-coloured images and diagrams occupy portions of every page of the story. These minimalist drawings are annotated with rhythmic phrases such as “shine, shine” for a mirror or “how funny!” for a dentist’s mask, making the book entertaining to read. Whereas the text of the story itself is small, the images are labelled in a larger font, and are therefore intended to be read by young children, introducing a variety of vocabulary. Further, Slegers accommodates for any fears that young children may have before their first visit to the dentist by demonstrating ways in which medical professionals act to entertain and accommodate children. For example, the dentist checks the teeth of a stuffed animal. 

Overall, Dentist’s and What They Do is delightful, easy to read, and likely to be enjoyed even by older children because of its engaging format. In its demystification of the first trips to the dentist, the book is an excellent way to introduce normal checkups and appointments to young children and is effective in making the process entertaining.  

Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4
Reviewer: Madeline C. Crichton

Madeline Crichton is a University of Alberta undergraduate student with a lifelong passion for reading. When she is not preoccupied with her studies, Madeline is busy volunteering in a variety of roles in her community.