Brush Your Teeth, Please: A Pop-up Book

Historically, my toddler has had a full blown meltdown every single time I've tried to brush his teeth. It's a large production without fail. (I think for him it's a sensory thing.) I bought this book to try to show him that brushing your teeth can be fun, and everyone needs to do it. This book is great because it has a fun picture of a different animal on each page and a little toothbrush you can use to "brush" the animal's teeth. The book emphasizes that it's not just enough to brush the front - you've got to really get in there and brush in the back, too! I gave the book to little dude and he has been enjoying brushing the animal's teeth. I give him a sticker every time he completes the book and does a thorough job with the animals. Then we have him practice brushing his own teeth. It's still a work in progress, but the book has really helped empower him to take over the process and see that it doesn't have to be a chore. If you have a toddler that hates brushing, I definitely recommend including this in your nighttime routine!

This book was even better than I expected it to be. I can't leave my toddler alone with it or it will be ripped up (like all pop ups would be). But reading it together, I didn't realize that it wasn't just a pop up, but totally interactive!On each page there's an animal brushing his teeth in a different way. You can move a toothbrush in a slide/sleeve on each page in a certain direction. Brushing up and down, side to side, front to back, etc.Our favorite page for both me and my 18 month old is the page with the shart flossing. I mean seriously, too cute, and so fun to slide the floss back and forth!!!!My son has read it multiple times a day every day. He got his hands on it alone though and ripped some things off. I tried to gluestick the parts I could. But I still will probably buy another copy because it is so worth it.

First off, my 2 year old daughter is stubborn. I don't mean your normal, toddler stubbornness because I've been through the terrible 2s and this is more along the lines of behaviors one might expect from Satans child. So I had little hope of this book actually getting her to do anything she senses I actually want her to do and fully expected every page to be demolished the second she found herself unsupervised. Did I mention she likes to tear books to shreds? Low and behold after reading it several times the day we got it that night I handed her the toothbrush bracing myself for the inevitable screaming, hold your breath until you pass out, fit in accustomed to each night and something miraculous happened. She actually started brushing her teeth! She brushed up and down like bear, back and forth like monkey, got her back teeth like hippo, did the free for all like lion and checked out her pearly whites in the mirror in the last page.No don't get me wrong, this book isn't a complete miracle worker. There is still no way she's letting Mom (aka the evil tooth brushing witch) near her mouth also, others have stated the tabs are tough for her to work, which leads to more screaming and holding of breath and passing out and I'm sure I can expect to purchase several more copies as the princess of destruction has yet to get her hands on it unsupervised, but for now she's actually brushing her teeth and that's good enough for me. God help me when I need to take her to her first dentist appointment.

I had high hopes for this book, and I think the concept is absolutely brilliant, but the pop-ups are (for my child, who is nearing age three) distracting--the noses on the featured animals pop out so that this is the first thing that she, and frankly, I notice. I wouldn't mind this at all if the pull tabs were consistent in their resistance/fluidity: some of the pull tabs are rigid and thus hard for her to move, while others move incredibly easily and actually feel loose, so I get the sense that this book will not last for long. We've had the book for two days now, and it's already showing signs of wear and tear.Quick defense of the book and its construction: Though this is not a board book, the paper is thick and double layered so my child's experience/motor skill difficulities may be irrelevant to yours. Also, the pop-ups are adorably illustrated and do "grab" a little one's attention.I bought this book because I wanted my daughter to have some additional and consistent outside reinforcement showing that brushing teeth is something we all do, but after witnessing the last 48 hours of her interactions with the book, it seems that unless I take control of the book and am the one to toggle the pull tabs that the book is doomed to destruction--and my daughter has been taught to respect books and really tries to be gentle with them, but she's not yet three, so she does pull too hard on things at times. But to utilize this kind of tactic deprives her of the fun of interacting with the book, and of taking control of brushing "someone else's teeth".One possible solution: use the book in the bathroom as your little one is brushing her/his teeth, so she/he gets some entertainment and a step-by-step guide through the brushing process. Just an idea!In terms of the book's format, it seems most appropriate for children who are nearing three and a half years, though the actual writing that accompanies the illustrations may be too simplistic for older toddlers: "Bears brush their teeth up and down. Brush, brush, brush. Shouldn't you? Brush Brush." But the interactions with the book would probably make up for it (flossing a shark's teeth; maneuvering a toothbrush all around a lion's mouth, etc.). Great fun there!I really love the concept of the book, just wish the materials were more durable for the needs and motor skill level of most two-year-olds. Hence the 4 star rating. Still, I would buy this book for children who are slightly older than mine.