Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World

Even though this book was written primarily for children, as a folklorist I found it most enjoyable and discovered so many fascinating traditions that are not recorded in any folklore archives. Here every single continent is represented and we learn how children of different nationalities dispose of their lost milk tooth. Of course, it is only to be expected that a few obscure examples have not been included. For instance, there is no reference to the old Cornish custom by which "children's first teeth are burnt to prevent dog's teeth or 'snaggles' - irregular teeth coming in their stead" (M.A. Courtney "Folklore and Legends of Cornwall", 1890, rep. 1989, pp. 156-7). Moreover, there is no mention of the Maltese custom of burying the tooth in a flower pot so that the new tooth (like the plant in the pot) will emerge (Pullicino, J.C. "Studies in Maltese Folklore", Malta Univ. Press, 1976, rep.1992, p.245). Yet there are so many fascinating examples, most of which were unknown to me. I was pleasantly surprised to see the Greek custom of throwing the milk tooth onto the roof ( a custom I was interested to learn is also pracitised in Korea and Taiwan). Infact, in Greece the throwing of the tooth onto the roof is accompanied by the reciting of a little rhyme which can be loosely translated as follows: 'Take sow my tooth and give me an iron one so that I can chew rusks'. In some regions of Greece, it is a mouse not a sow which is invoked. Therefore I was interested to see how the mouse also features in several parallel traditions throughout the world. For instance, we learn that Spanish children believe that the mouse Ratoncito Perez will substitute the tooth under the pillow for money or sweets(candies) as will his French counterpart La Petite Souris. Some peoples wrap their teeth in various materials for different reasons. Children of other nations bury their teeth ( e.g. Filipino children to make a wish). Yet in Turkey it is parents, not children who bury the tooth. Thai and Vietnames children dispose of their teeth in different ways, depending on whether it is an upper or lower tooth. The custom of Tajikistan reminded me of Greek mythology since the 'sown' teeth 'grow up to be warriors'. There are so many more interesting examples and it would be a shame for me to divulge more of them here. It is better to have access to all the examples by buying a copy of this book. I can guarantee that both you and your children will thoroughly enjoy it!

We found this book in our dentist's office and it kept my kids occupied with no thought of their about-to-happen visit. What a stroke of brilliance to have this in the waiting room. When we left, I saw an older man reading it and he had a big smile on his face. My dentist said she's been giving a copy to graduating dental students ... of course. My cousin's graduating from dental school next spring, so I'm glad to have THAT gift problem solved. Besides, it's fun to read. Who would have thought that tooth-losing traditions would be different all over the world? My kids started asking what else is the same but different with kids in other countries--good question.

I am a second year dental hygiene student and have recently been reading many tooth fairy tales. I loved the way the author showed the similarities as well as the differences of the world tooth traditions. I brought the book into our college clinic; those that had the chance to read the book loved all the different stories as well. Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World, by Selby B. Beeler, was a joy to read.

The kids love this book! Concerned about losing their baby teeth, the kids with whom I've read this book are intrigued to learn that they are not the only ones in the world who lose their teeth and do something special with them. A must-read for the tooth-losing age group!

I have been sending this book to friends whose children are reaching the tooth losing age. It provides an interesting perspective on the many odd traditions around the world. My friends have liked the fact the book is not US-centric, but instead spans the globe and various cultures.