Narrated by Dr. Ricks’ dog Joshua – who rightly gets co-author credit here – the book explains the basics of dental health and the proper ways to take care of teeth in straightforward language. Dr. Ricks and Joshua take care to be inclusive and patient in the text; every page has Joshua’s helpful advice in English and Spanish, and the charming illustrations by Glen W. Hill underline the practices and techniques mentioned in the book with warmth and color. Ricks and Joshua also resist the temptation to include too much, displaying a keen awareness of how much information their target audience can absorb at one time. However, children who are easily distracted may have issues early on with the fact that both English and Spanish text are on the page, although there is clear separation between the two. Also, there are brief occasions where the sentences become a little too long, which may strain some beginning readers. These moments are few, though, and can be easily surmounted with just a little nudge of effort; parents might consider these good moments for helping kids expand their reading skills.

Overall, the efforts of Joshua the dentally-savvy schnauzer should be well-received by kids and parents alike, and judging by the author photo on the back, Joshua himself doesn’t seem to be suffering from any tooth issues. Dr. Ricks proves himself a worthy co-author with this delightful collaboration, and pediatric dentists’ offices would be well-advised to add this book to their waiting rooms.