Doctor De Soto (A Sunburst Book)

Doctor De Soto (A Sunburst Book)
by William Steig

Doctor De Soto (A Sunburst Book)
List Price: $7.99
Our Price: $6.22
You Save: $1.77 (22%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: William Steig
Illustrator: William Steig
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1990-06-30
ISBN: 0374418101
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Book Reviews of Doctor De Soto (A Sunburst Book)

Book Review: De Soto: Mouse Dentist Extraordinaire!
Summary: 4 Stars

The author William Steig will be forever missed for his clever and delightful stories for the kiddie set. In "Doctor De Soto", Steig places the action in a land where such stories as "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" have taken place. In the story, animals of all types interact just as humans do, all the while retaining some very wild aspects. The story takes place in what looks to be the 1930s. As in Steig's "When Everybody Wore a Hat", the animals look as if they'd be comfortable listening to the radio and discussing President Roosevelt's reforms before going to bed each night. Dr. De Soto is a mouse dentist, who runs a quiet family practice with his wife. Normally, the De Soto's do not treat carnivorous animals but that rule changes when a pitiful fox comes to them with a toothache. Steig's drawings are sometimes easily dismissed as simplistic. This is not the case. Tiny details dot the illustrations, giving each page the feel of a snapshot into another world. The stairs leading to the De Soto office are separated into two types, large for bigger animals (donkeys, pigs, etc.) and smaller for woodland creatures. Dr. De Soto himself has set up a series of pulleys that allow him to work in the larger animals' mouths. Kids will like the book, gleefully observing the picture where a bloody infected tooth is pulled from the fox's mouth (little droplets of blood falling to the ground). If there is a moral to the story, it's probably to be vigilant. But who picks up a Steig book for a moral? This is just a fun piece of kid literature that everyone will like. It probably works best as an introductory text to the world of William Steig. Just be sure not to miss it.

Summary of Doctor De Soto (A Sunburst Book)

"Doctor De Soto, the dentist, did very good work." With the aid of his able assistant, Mrs. De Soto, he copes with the toothaches of animals large and small. His expertise is so great that his fortunate patients never feel any pain.

Since he's a mouse, Doctor De Soto refuses to treat "dangerous" animals--that is, animals who have a taste for mice. But one day a fox shows up and begs for relief from the tooth that's killing him. How can the kindhearted De Sotos turn him away? But how can they make sure that the fox doesn't give in to his baser instincts once his tooth is fixed? Those clever De Sotos will find a way.

Doctor De Soto is a well-respected mouse-dentist who runs a successful practice with his wife (and able assistant) Mrs. De Soto. The De Sotos are friendly and professional toward all their patients, from chipmunks to donkeys to cows, the exception being "cats and other dangerous animals," as stated clearly on the sign outside the office. But the De Sotos are tender-hearted rodents, so when a miserable fox shows up begging for treatment, they agree to have a look (perhaps against their better judgment). As it turns out, this fox, with "a rotten bicuspid and unusually bad breath," manages to behave himself while tiny Doctor De Soto is standing mid-molar inside his gaping jaws. When the wily fox returns the next day to get his replacement gold tooth, however, he has mouse-flavored snacks on his mind. Luckily, Doctor De Soto and his wife have anticipated such despicable canine intentions, and find a way to outfox the ungrateful fox.

William Steig, award-winning creator of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, once again offers young readers a clever, amusing tale of interspecies mingling. As usual, Steig's tone is matter-of-fact, and his enchanting illustrations of the responsible mouse couple and their foxy adversary are alive with expression and emotion. Kids will appreciate the De Sotos' wit, and will be delighted to read more about this diminutive couple's adventures in Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa. (Ages 4 to 8)

Foxes & Wolves Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Foxes & Wolves Books
Rex's Secret: A Courageous Critters¿¿ Book ImageRex's Secret: A Courageous Critters¿¿ Book
by Michael Neal
iUniverse, Inc.; Published: 2004-02-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.37
Price in other shops: $8.94
Werewolf Rising ImageWerewolf Rising
by R. L. LaFevers
Dutton Juvenile; Published: 2006-08-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.99
The Curse of the Romany Wolves ImageThe Curse of the Romany Wolves
by S. Jones Rogan
Knopf Books for Young Readers; Published: 2009-08-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops: $16.99
Brother Wolf: A Seneca Tale ImageBrother Wolf: A Seneca Tale
by Harriet Peck Taylor
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); Published: 1996-09-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $118.18
Little Goal!: A Preston Pig Toddler Book ImageLittle Goal!: A Preston Pig Toddler Book
by Colin McNaughton
HMH Books; Published: 2001-03-05; Board book; Book
Best price: $25.50
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Movie Picture Book ImageFantastic Mr. Fox: Movie Picture Book
by Roald Dahl
Puffin; Published: 2009-10-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.77
Price in other shops: $7.99
Fox at School: Level 3 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) ImageFox at School: Level 3 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)
by Edward Marshall
Puffin; Published: 1993-08-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.42
Price in other shops: $3.99
A Very Proper Fox ImageA Very Proper Fox
by Jan Fearnley
HarperCollins UK; Published: 2006-04-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.20
Price in other shops: $11.95
Julie's Wolf Pack (Julie of the Wolves) ImageJulie's Wolf Pack (Julie of the Wolves)
by Jean Craighead George
HarperCollins; Published: 1997-08-30; Library Binding; Book
Best price: $17.50
Price in other shops: $18.89
Julie's Wolf Pack (Julie of the Wolves) ImageJulie's Wolf Pack (Julie of the Wolves)
by Jean Craighead George
HarperCollins; Published: 1997-08-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.00
Price in other shops: $16.95
Similar Books and other products
Miss Nelson Is Missing! ImageMiss Nelson Is Missing!
by Harry Allard, James Marshall
Sandpiper; Sandpiper; Published: 1985-10-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.03
Price in other shops: $6.99
Dominic ImageDominic
by William Steig
Square Fish; Published: 2007-10-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.89
Price in other shops: $5.99
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (Lyle the Crocodile) ImageLyle, Lyle, Crocodile (Lyle the Crocodile)
by Bernard Waber
Houghton Mifflin; Sandpiper; Published: 1987-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.15
Price in other shops: $7.99
Strega Nona ImageStrega Nona
by Tomie dePaola
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; Aladdin; Published: 1979-09-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: $7.99
Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa ImageDoctor De Soto Goes to Africa
by William Steig
HarperCollins; Published: 1994-04-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.15
Price in other shops: $6.99
The Amazing Bone ImageThe Amazing Bone
by William Steig
Square Fish; Published: 2011-07-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.40
Price in other shops: $7.99
Brave Irene ImageBrave Irene
by William Steig
Square Fish; Published: 2011-10-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.30
Price in other shops: $7.99
Abel's Island (Newbery Award & Honor Books) ImageAbel's Island (Newbery Award & Honor Books)
by William Steig
Books; Square Fish; Published: 2007-10-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.27
Price in other shops: $6.99
Amos & Boris ImageAmos & Boris
by William Steig
Square Fish; Square Fish; Published: 2009-09-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.36
Price in other shops: $6.99
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble ImageSylvester and the Magic Pebble
by William Steig
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; Aladdin; Published: 1987-04-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.79
Price in other shops: $7.99