Book Review of Sea Smiles
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The Children’s Book Review
Sea Smiles
Written and illustrated by Bonnie Kelso
Ages 4-6 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Gnome Road Publishing (2024) | ISBN-13: 9781957655208
What to Expect: Teeth, animals, diversity, and learning.
Using marine animal science to explore the common anxiety of losing your first baby tooth, Sea Smiles is an enjoyable exploration of the diversity of the animal kingdom when it comes to teeth.
When a little girl bites down on an apple and loses a tooth, it takes all the learning and knowledge her friend Wolffish can muster to help her feel better. Luckily, Wolffish knows all about teeth. He tells the little girl about his own teeth, which are great for catching live prey, and about the fleshy spines penguins have instead of teeth and the giant spiked tooth that is the Narwhal’s horn. She learns that some teeth in the sea can inject venom, that the crabeater seal has 32 spiral-shaped teeth (but does not actually use them to eat crab), and that sharks can produce up to 20,000 teeth in a lifetime.
After learning all those crazy, cool, diverse tooth facts, she doesn’t feel sad about her tooth anymore!
Just like the protagonist, readers will find themselves distracted from their tooth troubles as they hear about the strange tooth-related experiences some other animals have. Alongside dozens of interesting tooth facts, humorous dialogue and wordplay keep the reading light and fun while reminding readers that looking different from others is okay. Bright cartoon-style artwork adds to the fun, interactive mood of the book.
Sea Smiles is the perfect distraction from tooth troubles—and fascinating for any reader interested in marine animals or tooth biology.
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About the Author
Bonnie Kelso writes and illustrates books for children and adults that encourage individualism and brave, creative self-expression. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she has a background in exhibit design and has worked on projects for NASA, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian Institution. Bonnie traveled all the way around the world twice! An avid snorkeler and scuba diver, Bonnie has explored every sea or ocean she has come close to, except for the really cold ones. She still enjoys indulging her wandering nature whenever she gets the chance.
To learn more about Bonnie, visit https://bonniekelso.com.
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