I Lost My Tooth In Africa
From Reading Rainbow · 2006

28 minK1st2nd3rdReading & Writing (ELA)Social Studies
Summary
Penda Diakité's picture book is based on her daughter's experience losing a tooth while visiting Mali, West Africa — where the Tooth Fairy tradition is very different. A joyful story about family, culture, and the surprises of travel.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Amina loses a tooth in Mali, West Africa — where the Tooth Fairy works differently.
- How is the tooth tradition in Mali different from what you know?
- What other things does Amina notice about life in Mali?
- What surprised you most about the story?
- What family or cultural tradition do you have that might surprise someone from another country?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: Mali, West Africa, tradition, culture, custom.
Try it: Find Mali on a world map or globe. Write two facts about Mali from the story (food, animals, people, or places mentioned).
