A delightful original story is rooted in the French tradition of the Tooth Mouse, who gives French children money in exchange for their baby teeth when they fall out. When the Tooth Mouse announces she is ready to retire, she holds a contest to choose her successor. Sophie is the youngest of the mice competing, trying to show she is brave, honest, and wise. And she proves herself the most worthy, particularly when it comes to the last of three tasks: Come up with a plan for what to do with all the collected baby teeth. Susan Hood’s fresh tale is sprinkled with French words and phrases and sparkles with charm, as do Janice Nadeau’s delicate pencil and watercolor illustrations. The back end papers include a list of “tooth traditions” in various countries. (Ages 4–8)