ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Awnie's House ???? Kids Book Read Aloud: DOCTOR DE SOTO by William Steig
Hi there! I’m Ani, and I’m so excited to read with you today. I want to say a big hello to some special classes: Primary Class 8MS B, Miss Nisha’s class in Irvine, California, Miss Jackie’s class in St. George, Utah, and Mrs. Forest’s class in Texas. Are you ready for a fun story?
Today, we’re going to read about a clever little mouse dentist named Dr. De Soto. He is very good at fixing teeth and helps all kinds of animals, except those that might be dangerous to mice. What do you think will happen when a fox with a toothache visits him? Let’s find out!
Dr. De Soto is a dentist who is so good at his job that many animals come to see him. Small animals like moles and chipmunks sit in his regular dentist’s chair. Bigger animals sit on the floor, and Dr. De Soto uses a ladder to reach their mouths. For the really big animals, he has a special room where his wife helps him get up to their mouths.
One day, Dr. De Soto and his wife see a fox with a bandage around his jaw. The fox is in pain and begs for help. Even though Dr. De Soto usually doesn’t treat animals that might eat mice, he and his wife decide to help the poor fox.
The fox sits on the floor, and Dr. De Soto climbs up to look inside his mouth. The fox has a bad tooth that needs to come out. Dr. De Soto gives the fox some gas to make him sleepy, so he doesn’t feel any pain. While the fox dreams, Dr. De Soto and his wife work together to pull out the bad tooth.
After the fox leaves, Dr. De Soto and his wife worry that the fox might want to eat them after they finish fixing his tooth. They come up with a clever plan to keep themselves safe.
The fox returns, feeling much better. Dr. De Soto and his wife give him a shiny new gold tooth. The fox is happy, but he still thinks about eating the mice. Dr. De Soto tells the fox about a special treatment that will make sure he never has tooth pain again.
Dr. De Soto paints the fox’s teeth with a secret formula. When the fox closes his mouth, his teeth get stuck together! Dr. De Soto explains that the fox won’t be able to open his mouth for a day or two, but he won’t have any more tooth pain.
The fox leaves, unable to eat Dr. De Soto and his wife. The clever mice have outsmarted him! They celebrate their success and take the rest of the day off.
Wasn’t that a fun story? Dr. De Soto and his wife used their smarts to stay safe. I hope you enjoyed reading with me today. Don’t forget to come back for more stories. See you next time!
Role-Play Dentist: Gather some stuffed animals or toys and pretend to be Dr. De Soto. Use a small step stool or ladder to reach the mouths of bigger toys. Practice “fixing” their teeth by pretending to clean or check them. Think about how Dr. De Soto might feel when helping different animals. Discuss with a friend or family member how you would feel if you were Dr. De Soto and had to help a big animal like the fox.
Design a Safety Plan: Just like Dr. De Soto and his wife came up with a clever plan to stay safe, think of a situation where you might need to be clever to solve a problem. Draw a picture or write a short story about your plan. Share your idea with your class or family and see if they can come up with other creative solutions.
Observe and Report: Go on a short walk or look around your home to find examples of animals or objects that might need special tools or tricks to help them, just like Dr. De Soto needed a ladder. Write down or draw what you find. Discuss with a friend or family member how you would help these animals or objects if you were a dentist like Dr. De Soto.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hello, my reading friends! It’s Ani. Today, I want to send shoutouts to Primary Class 8MS B and Miss Nisha’s class in Irvine, California, Miss Jackie’s class in St. George, Utah, and Mrs. Forest’s class in Texas. Hello to everyone! I’m so glad that we get to read together. Are you ready for a story?
Well, today we’re going to read about a little mouse dentist who does very good work and treats all kinds of animals, except those that are dangerous to mice. What do you think he’ll do when a fox comes to him with a toothache? Let’s find out together as we read “Dr. De Soto.”
If you have a copy, go get it so you can read along with me.
“Dr. De Soto” by William Stagg. Dr. De Soto, the dentist, did very good work, so he had no end of patients. Those close to his own size, like moles and chipmunks, sat in the regular dentist’s chair. Larger animals sat on the floor while Dr. De Soto stood on a ladder. For extra-large animals, he had a special room. Dr. De Soto was hoisted up to the patient’s mouth by his assistant, who also happened to be his wife.
Dr. De Soto was especially popular with the big animals. He was able to work inside their mouths while wearing rubbers to keep his feet dry, and his fingers were so delicate and his drill so dainty that they could hardly feel any pain. Being a mouse, he refused to treat animals dangerous to mice. It was said that soon after a sign was posted, when the doorbell rang, he and his wife would look out the window and wouldn’t admit even the most timid-looking cat.
One day, when they looked out, they saw a well-dressed fox with a flannel bandage around his jaw. “I cannot treat you, sir,” Dr. De Soto shouted. “Haven’t you read my sign?” “Please,” the fox wailed, “have mercy! I’m suffering!” and he wept so bitterly it was pitiful to see.
“Just a moment,” said Dr. De Soto. “Oh, that poor fox,” he whispered to his wife. “What shall we do?” “Let’s risk it,” said Mrs. De Soto. She pressed the buzzer and let the fox in. He was up the stairs in a flash. “Bless your little hearts!” he cried, falling to his knees. “I beg you, do something! My tooth is killing me!”
“Sit on the floor, sir,” said Dr. De Soto, “and remove the bandages.” Dr. De Soto climbed up the ladder and bravely entered the fox’s mouth. “Wow!” he gasped. The fox had a rotten bicuspid and unusually bad breath. “This tooth will have to come out,” Dr. De Soto announced, “but we can make you a new one.” “Just stop the pain,” whimpered the fox, wiping some tears away.
Despite his misery, he realized he had a tasty little morsel in his mouth, and his jaw began to quiver. “Keep open!” yelled Dr. De Soto. “Wide open!” yelled his wife. “I’m giving you gas now,” said Dr. De Soto. “You won’t feel a thing when I yank that tooth.” Soon, the fox was in dreamland. “Oh, yummy!” he mumbled. “How I love them raw with just a pinch of salt!” They could guess what he was dreaming about.
Mrs. De Soto handed her husband a pole to keep the fox’s mouth open. Dr. De Soto fastened his extractor to the bad tooth, then he and his wife began turning the winch. Finally, with a sucking sound, the tooth popped out and hung swaying in the air. “I’m bleeding!” the fox yelped when he came to. Dr. De Soto ran up the ladder and stuffed some gauze in the hole. “The worst is over,” he said. “I’ll have your new tooth ready tomorrow. Be here at 11:00 sharp.”
The fox, still woozy, said goodbye and left. On his way home, he wondered if it would be shabby of him to eat the De Sotos when the job was done. After office hours, Mrs. De Soto molded a tooth of pure gold and polished it. “Raw as salt indeed,” muttered Dr. De Soto. “How foolish to trust a fox.” “He didn’t know what he was saying,” said Mrs. De Soto. “Why should he harm us? We’re helping him.” “Because he’s a fox,” said Dr. De Soto. “Now, wicked, wicked creatures!”
That night, the De Sotos lay awake worrying. “Should we let him in tomorrow?” Mrs. De Soto wondered. “Once I start a job,” said the dentist firmly, “I finish it. My father was the same way.” “But we must do something to protect ourselves,” said his wife. They talked and talked until they formed a plan.
The next morning, promptly at 11:00, a very cheerful fox turned up. He was feeling not a particle of pain. When Dr. De Soto got into his mouth, he snapped it shut for a moment, then opened wide and laughed. “Ha ha! Just a joke!” he chortled. “Be serious,” said the dentist sharply. “We have work to do.” His wife was lugging the heavy tooth up the ladder. “Oh, I love it!” exclaimed the fox. “It’s just beautiful!”
Dr. De Soto set the gold tooth in its socket and hooked it up to the teeth on both sides. The fox caressed the new tooth with his tongue. “My, it feels great!” he thought. “I really shouldn’t eat them. On the other hand, how can I resist?” “We’re not finished,” said Dr. De Soto, holding up a large jug. “I have here a remarkable preparation developed only recently by my wife and me. With just one application, you can be rid of two things forever. How would you like to be the first one to receive this unique treatment?”
“I certainly would!” the fox declared. “I’d be honored!” He hated any kind of personal pain. “You will never have to see us again,” said Dr. De Soto. “Now on, we’ll see you again,” said the fox to himself. He had definitely made up his mind to eat them with the help of his brand-new tooth.
Dr. De Soto stepped into the fox’s mouth with a bucket of secret formula and proceeded to paint each tooth. He hummed as he worked, while Mrs. De Soto stood by on the ladder, pointing out spots he had missed. The fox looked very happy. When the dentist was done, he stepped out. “Now close your jaws tight,” he said, “and keep them closed for a full minute.”
The fox did as he was told, then tried to open his mouth, but his teeth were stuck together. “Ah, excuse me,” I should have mentioned,” said Dr. De Soto, “you won’t be able to open your mouth for a day or two. The secret formula must first permeate the dentine, but don’t worry—no pain ever again!”
The fox was stunned. He stared at Dr. De Soto, then at his wife. They smiled and waited. All he could do was mumble through his clenched teeth and get up and leave. He tried to do so with dignity, then stumbled down the stairs in a daze. Dr. De Soto and his assistant had outfoxed the fox! They kissed each other and took the rest of the day off.
It’s a good thing Dr. De Soto and his wife came up with such a clever plan. They were able to outsmart the fox. I hope you enjoyed our story today, and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel to stay up to date on all my latest videos. See you next time!
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