When it comes to persuading young ones to brush their teeth, Queenstowner Craig Smith’s next children’s book’s a pearler.
That was the aim of the singer-songwriter — whose Wonky Donkey song and books have become an international success — when he wrote
Toothless, the song, in 2008.
‘‘That was just encouraging children to understand their teeth will fall out, but when their new ones come through, they should look after them.’’
Smith got inspired to turn it into a book when his daughter Maia, now seven, started losing her baby teeth and gaining new ones.
Toothless is his 12th book, and fourth self-published one.
To impart his message, he’s again utilised some trademark humour, and daggy illustrations by Wānaka artist Scott Tulloch.
At the back of the book is a perforated sticker chart — kids collect stickers when they clean their teeth twice a day in return for a reward after 30 days.
‘‘I bought Maia a little doll she wanted, but we leave the reward up to parents.’’
The Toothless song can also be downloaded or streamed from a QR code on the back cover.
‘‘The idea is children can brush along to the song, so they’ve got a good two to two-and-a-half minutes of brushing their teeth,’’ Smith says.
He’s also got sponsorship from a company, Grin, that makes biodegradable tooth brushes and chemical-free toothpaste, and has had the
book printed in China on recycled paper.
He’s had 10,000 copies printed, with pre-orders already from Paper Plus — it’s on sale mid-next month for $20.
Meanwhile, Smith’s also publishing a compilation of his four Wonky Donkey books next month.
