THE MIGHTIEST BITE
by Howard Calvert ; illustrated by Mike Moran
Who, of all the animals, has the mightiest bite?
A grinning, brown-skinned child has “20 teeth! That makes for a mighty bite. The mightiest bite in the world!” A succession of creatures, from a rabbit and dog on up, flash their dental credentials to assert the contrary. Cobra hisses, “I think you will find that I am the bitiest. And therefore the mightiest.” And even a dinosaur weighs in: “Yes, it is I, T. rex, back from being extinct to inform you all that your bites are piddly compared to mine. Check. It. Out. 60 bone-crunchers.” Unfortunately, the narrative’s rousing language isn’t reflected in Moran’s cartoon illustrations, where big eyes and exaggerated expressions of dismay play larger than the jagged but not particularly prominent teeth on display. In the wake of much roaring and posturing, in flits a toothless mosquito, exciting general scoffing until the tiny creature proves its supremacy by biting one and all…all that is, except the human youngster. And why is the child alone skipped? Because the youngster comes prepared with a spray tube of bug repellent, thus proving that at least when it comes to the “mightiest brain,” it’s no contest. Young readers will enjoy seeing the toothy competition topped by its tiniest entrant, but the closing twist feels as though it comes a bit out of nowhere.
Quirky, but it lacks bite.
(Picture book. 6-8)