About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is facing a common childhood fear like a dental checkup or a doctor visit and is struggling to articulate their anxiety. This clever story validates those big feelings by showing that even a big, scary crocodile feels nervous about the dentist. Using a unique mirrored dialogue structure, it reveals that the dentist is actually just as worried about his patient as the patient is about him. It is a perfect choice for preschoolers and early elementary children who respond well to humor and irony. By seeing both sides of the chair, children learn to empathize with others and realize that fear is a universal experience. This helps take the edge off their own anxiety by turning a scary appointment into a shared human, or reptilian, experience.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
The book deals with dental anxiety and physical pain in a very direct but secular and metaphorical way. The pain of the tooth extraction is shown through a brief 'Ouch!' but the resolution is hopeful and empowering.
