Doctor De Soto facts for kids
Front cover of unknown edition
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| Author | William Steig |
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| Illustrator | William Steig |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
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Publication date
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1982 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 32 pp |
| ISBN | 0-374-41810-1 |
Doctor De Soto is a fun picture book for kids. It was written and drawn by William Steig and came out in 1982. The story is about a clever mouse dentist named Doctor De Soto. He has to help a fox with a really bad toothache. The big challenge is to help the fox without becoming his dinner!
This book won the 1983 National Book Award for Children's Books. It was honored in the Picture Books, Hardcover category. Doctor De Soto also received a special mention as a Newbery Honor Book. It's one of the shortest books ever to get this award, with only 32 pages.
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
The story introduces us to Dr. De Soto. He is a mouse dentist who lives in a world of animals that act like people. Dr. De Soto and his wife work together. Mrs. De Soto is his helpful assistant. They try to make sure their patients feel as little pain as possible.
How Dr. De Soto Treats Patients
Dr. De Soto has different chairs for animals of all sizes. Sometimes, a very large animal just sits on the floor. For these big patients, Dr. De Soto uses a stepladder. Mrs. De Soto also helps by guiding her husband with a system of pulleys. This helps him reach high up! The De Sotos have one important rule: they never treat animals that like to eat mice.
A Fox with a Toothache
One day, a fox with a terrible toothache shows up. He is well-dressed and begs for help. Dr. De Soto feels bad for the fox. Mrs. De Soto suggests they take a risk and help him. So, they let the fox become a patient.
They give the fox some anesthetic to numb the pain. While the fox is sleepy from the medicine, he accidentally says something. He mumbles about how much he loves to eat mice. He even mentions having them with a dry, white wine!
A Tricky Plan
The De Sotos remove the fox's bad tooth. They tell him to come back the next day for a new false tooth. On his way home, the fox thinks it's rude to eat someone who just helped him. But he still can't quite give up the idea.
That night, Dr. and Mrs. De Soto talk about the fox. Mrs. De Soto thinks the fox's comments were just because of the medicine. Dr. De Soto feels it was silly to trust a fox. But he remembers his father's advice: always finish a job you start. So, they come up with a clever plan to protect themselves.
Outsmarting the Fox
The next day, the fox returns. He is much happier now that his pain is gone. He is excited to get his new tooth. Dr. De Soto puts in the new tooth. But by now, the fox has decided he will try to eat the mice.
Dr. De Soto then tells the fox about a new formula. He says it will prevent toothaches forever. He asks the fox if he wants to be the first to try it. The fox hates pain, so he quickly agrees. The dentist takes his time, painting each tooth with the special formula. Then, he tells the fox to clench his jaws shut for a full minute.
The fox is surprised to find his mouth is glued shut! The "secret formula" was actually a strong glue. Dr. De Soto calmly explains that the formula needs time to soak into the dentin. He says the fox won't be able to open his mouth for a day or two. The fox is shocked and can only mumble "frank oo berry mush" (thank you very much). He leaves, trying to look as dignified as possible.
The book ends with the De Sotos feeling proud. They successfully "outfoxed the fox"! They decide to take the rest of the day off. This story is similar to an old fable by Aesop. In both stories, a predator needs help from a smaller animal. But in Doctor De Soto, the smaller animal outsmarts the predator.
Animated Version
An animated short film of Doctor De Soto was made in 1984. It was directed by an American animator named Michael Sporn. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It also won the CINE Golden Eagle Award in Education.
