STELLA AND THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING TOOTH

Stella is on the hunt for a missing tooth.

Stella, a Black child with Afro puffs whom readers may remember from Stella Keeps the Sun Up (2022), and Roger, a stuffed blue hippo, are on their way to a museum to meet Stella’s pal Owen and see Sue, a T. rex skeleton. But when Stella arrives, Owen (who is tan-skinned) is running away from the museum; as he leaves, he yells out that he lost his tooth. Not understanding the concept of losing baby teeth, Stella and Roger are puzzled. After a brief hunt for the missing tooth, a girl tells Stella to look for the tooth fairy, because that’s who took her own brother’s tooth. The duo search for the tooth fairy, seek out intel from Sue, and listen to a Black museum worker tell them about how dinosaurs often lost teeth. Finally, they find Owen, who fills them in on the truth, and they learn that losing baby teeth means they “will officially be grown-ups.” This is a sweet book with a curious, imaginative, and helpful protagonist. However, the pacing is meandering. Several pages are dedicated to Stella telling readers about Owen before he finally appears. The illustrations are whimsical but a bit flat. Readers will enjoy spotting the tooth fairy who appears on a few pages even though they may question why she never actually makes it into the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Despite the cuteness factor, this one falls short.