Doctor De Soto

"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.

William Steig, the United States nominee for the 1982 Hans Christian Anderson Illustrator's Medal, received the 1981 Irma Simonton Black Award for his most recent book, Gorky Rises, and the 1970 Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Abel's Island and The Amazing Bone were 1977 Newbery and Caldecott Honor Books respectively.

“I cannot imagine childhood without Steig: Sylvester, Pearl, Caleb, and now Doctor De Soto.”—The Dallas Morning News
“This is one of those picture books that are so good I’d just like to quote the whole thing.”—Philadelphia Inquirer
“Simple but sly, a mischievously imaginative rendition of the classic theme.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“Doctor De Soto is a mouse dentist who . . . operates a clinic open to all except animals threatening to mice. What to do, then, when a weeping and wailing fox shows up for treatment? . . . There is great wit and good fun in the illustrations.”—Booklist, Starred Review