Doctor De Soto by William Steig

Doctor De Soto Reviews

• 
  Tracy ( Vacay. Have a great week! =)

  William Steig's Newbery Honored 'Doctor De Soto' is a beautifully illustrated and delightful tale about a mouse dentist named Dr. De Soto, his lovely wife who assists him with the procedures, and a wily fox with a very bad toothache. Against the De Sotos' better judgment, they open their hearts and take the suffering Mr. Fox as a patient. Reading Mr. Steig's text while looking at the detailed illustrations - he also drew - showing how they fixed his tooth and managed to come out unscathed was absolutely enchanting. These two ended up proving even the tiniest of creatures can out-fox a fox - when they put on their thinking caps... This one should not be missed.
  
• 
  Spencer Orey

  A classic tale about little dentist mice outsmarting patients that want to eat them. My kid asks for this one a lot.
• 
  Calista

  The doc is a mouse who is also a dentist, a very smart mouse. He treats animals of all sizes, but he is careful who he treats. He doesn’t treat cats or anyone that wants to eat mice. A smart policy in my mind. Well, one day, a fox is in terrible pain and begging to be treated and the doc and his wife decide to treat the poor creature knowing the dangers.
  
  They pull out a tooth and plan for a way to outfox the ol’ fox to keep from being eaten. The fox was planning on eating the doc too. I think the plan was not bad. It worked and could work, but is there an even better solution?? Maybe.
  
  The nephew loved seeing the mouse in the foxes mouth. He kept waiting for the jaws to slam shut and eat him. He kept asking if he was going to get eaten. He was sure it would happen. Overall, he enjoyed this little story and gave this 3 stars.
• 
  Lisa Vegan

  A very cute story, about a mouse dentist and his assistant mouse wife who treat all sorts of creatures, except those that would eat them.
  
  But they’re so kindhearted that when a fox begs for help, they relent and do their jobs. Of course, the fun part is how they outsmart the fox to render him harmless to them.
  
  This would be a great book for kids about to visit the dentist or kids who are scared of dentists, or those who like dentists too. I never had a cavity and never needed any painful dental procedures when I was a child, so I was never scared of dentists. I liked my pediatric dentist a lot.
  
  The bloody pulled tooth might gross out some readers/listeners though.
  
  I loved the illustrations. The expressiveness of the animals was wonderful, and each picture had a lot to look at, and I loved the color palette used. I enjoyed the pictures on every page.
  
  I am confused though: my copy has a Newbery Honor Book sticker on it. It’s unusual for a picture book to be nominated for a Newbery Award. Those awards are generally given to novels. I thought this was a fine story but not Newbery worthy. Caldecott worthy? Perhaps.
• 
  Ronyell

  
  
  “Doctor DeSoto” is a popular book written by the master children’s books, William Steig. This book is most notably known for winning the Newberry Honor Book award and has remained to be a favorite among the young readers for many generations.
  
  Doctor DeSoto” has an extremely unique storyline about deception. The fox was trying to be friendly towards the DeSotos in the second half of the story, thinking that they would not suspect his malicious intentions. But, Doctor DeSoto comes up with a creative solution in outfoxing the fox and therefore, turns the tables on the fox. Doctor DeSoto’s trickery towards the fox is probably one of the greatest trickster moments in book history since in “Stephanie’s Ponytail” when Stephanie tricked her classmates into shaving their heads bald. William Steig’s illustrations are vividly detailed as he masterfully illustrates the expressions on the characters’ faces of pity and uncertainty from the fox as he is treated by Doctor DeSoto and how Steig illustrates the buildings in the cities by coloring the buildings mostly brown and red and having the interior of each building be filled with flowers, couches, and colorful wallpapers that create a homely atmosphere to the story.
  
  Parents should know that there is a brief image of the fox’s tooth being pulled out by a lever machine and the tooth is somewhat bloody as drops of blood fall from the tooth. Young children who are frightened of the dentist may worry about this image so parents should try to either skip over this image or reassure their children that the fox is alright from this procedure, even though he states, “I’m bleeding!”
  
  “Doctor DeSoto” is one of William Steig’s greatest classics since it contains a trickery scene by Doctor DeSoto that will remain a cult favorite for many years. Children about ages six or younger will simply adore this book for its cute characters and exciting storyline and the adults will love the fact that Doctor DeSoto has taken a great profession in dentistry and I am sure that this book will be a favorite for many years. Also, if you love “Doctor DeSoto,” check out the sequel “Doctor DeSoto Goes to Africa” that also features the wise doctor.
  
  Review is also on:
  Rabbit Ears Book Blog
  
• 
  Kathryn

  Here is the story of an amazing mouse-dentist named Dr. De Soto and his kindly assistant (and wife). They treat all manner of animals--except those that like to eat mice! But, when a well-dressed and much-suffering fox wanders past one day with a terrible toothache, Mrs. De Soto can't bare to see him suffer and convinces her husband to help. But, the fox--true to the foxes' reputation--is sly and cannot be trusted. Dr. De Soto and his wife survive the first day, but the fox needs a second treatment. Dr. De Soto never lets a job go unfinished, but he and his wife might have just the thing to outsmart the clever fox.
  
  This book made a huge impression on me as a child. The illustrations fascinated me. I loved all the contraptions Dr. De Soto used to service the various animals, and the tooth popping out of the fox's mouth (complete with blood dripping off it!) was so horrible and intriguing! I never had a fear of dentists, so I am not sure whether this book contributed to that or whether children sensitive to dentists would find Dr. De Soto's methods a bit unnerving. However, overall I would recommend this as an enjoyable and winning combination of story and illustration.
• 
  Emily

  I never imagined that a story about a dentist could be charming, but this one is. I enjoyed the story well enough, but what tickled me were the illustrations, especially the ones with the mouse dentist being hauled up on pulleys by his wife to work on the teeth of very large animals. I was also charmed because the Desotos reminded me so much of my own dentist and his wife-assistant, an older Romanian couple who live around the corner from me and do excellent work at low prices (just one of the reasons why it's better to live in Queens than Manhattan). There's no physical resemblance, but they have the same unassuming quality of quietly efficient teamwork that I see in Steig's mouse characters. My eight-year-old boy (who is still eager to have picture books read aloud to him despite reading chapter books independently) enjoyed the story a lot, although he was worried for a while about whether a story about a mouse climbing inside of the mouth of a fox was going to end well.
• 
  Jackie "the Librarian"

  I think Doctor De Soto should have referred the fox to another dentist. I mean, it's not like he didn't have enough non-mice eating patients bringing in business!
  That said, I love the idea of a mouse dentist. I wish MY dentist was a mouse, with tiny little mouse-sized drills. They'd be much quieter and precise. Also, I bet I could pay him in cheese.
• 
  Matthew

  To check out my reviews:
  http://dancinginth3dark.blogspot.com
  
  I do not remember if I ever read this book until now or if a teacher read it to the class or even if I saw the animated short film but this classic book sounds awfully familiar. It was cute, sweet, and funny which I believe will be a hit for kids but it wasn't 5 stars material for me.
  
  We meet Doctor De Soto who is a mouse dentist who takes care of all type of animals who are harmless to mouse. He is a successful dentist and has many useful mechanism to help fix his clients teeth regardless of their size. One day they hear a fox roaming outside of the office who is crying in pain because his tooth hurts. He wants Doctor De Soto to cure him of his pain and at first the doctor is reluctant but finally gives in and cures him by removing the fox's rotten tooth.
  
  During the surgery process, Doctor De Soto and his wife overhear the fox talking about eating them when he was dreaming and they realize that the fox may have other motives once his pain is taking care of and they decide that they must outsmart the fox before he eats them as snacks. So they tell the Fox to come get his replacement tooth for the next day and during that time Doctor De Soto is clueless about what needs to be accomplished until talking to his wife does the idea come and save the day.
  
  I do not want to give the ending away because this was an entertaining book but by the time I reached the last few pages it became clear how Doctor De Soto found the solution to his problem and while it sounded familiar it was brilliant nonetheless. I wish I could have given it 5 stars but this book didn't blow my mind like other children books and I believe it is because of an age issue. I believe if I were younger I would absolutely love this book to pieces.
  
  I highly recommend this book for both children and parents to read and this author is famous especially since he wrote the book Shrek. Until next time...
• 
  Melissa

  
  So I had never heard of this book nor this author before. When I looked into other books he wrote I found out that he is the one who wrote Shrek. Though from what little (and I do mean little) research I've done the movie is very loosely based on the book. Either way that baby is getting added to my to be read pile. But this isn't about Shrek. This is about Doctor De Soto.
  
  Doctor De Soto is a dentist. This mouse takes care of patients of all sizes. But his one rule is to not take dangerous patients like cats. One day a fox comes to his office with a bad tooth and begs Doctor De Soto to fix his tooth. Doctor De Soto agrees but what can he do to keep the fox from gobbling him up?
  
  I really enjoyed this one. For some reason children's literature loves to make foxes out to be bad. Not all foxes are bad. It is just their nature just like wolves, cats, sharks etc. There is this idea that carnivores should just starve...anyway I digress. 
  
  This was a cute story with Doctor De Soto coming up with a sly (like a fox) solution to keeping that fox from snapping him up in those mighty jaws of his. The illustrations were great and the length of this book is great for a bedtime story.
  
  5 out of 5 stars
• 
  Tatiana

  Another day, another book read to the 2nd graders. I love having this excuse to revisit children's literature. The kids quickly became invested in this story, responding to my prompts with guesses of what would happen to Dr. De Soto, Mrs. De Soto, and the fox. Their speculations were so imaginative! Colorful illustrations and a clear narrative (with complex action verbs!) that flowed from beginning to end.
• 
  Shannon

  Does anyone else remember this book from their childhood? I read it many times in, oh, grade 1 I think. Maybe Prep. You'd think a book about a mouse dentist, complete with illustrations of teeth extractions (with blood drops) would be off-putting for a child. Instead, the opposite was true: I was fascinated by the pictures and loved the story. I was browsing one day in the children's section and saw it - I had forgotten all about it but instantly recognised it.
  
  Doctor de Soto is, as I said, the story of a mouse dentist and his assistant wife, Mrs de Soto. He's an excellent dentist, with nimble hands, and extra-large patients like him because, with the help of a winch and his wife, he can hoist himself right into their mouths to work! But "cats and other dangerous animals are not welcome". (Today we would exclaim, "Discrimination!")
  
  When a fox turns up one day, in great pain with a toothache, and begs for Dr de Soto's help, the good dentist decides to accept him as a patient. The fox is grateful, but can't help thinking what a tasty morsel the mice would be. So, before his return visit when the dentist will fit a new gold tooth in the fox's mouth, Dr de Soto and his wife come up with a plan to ensure they won't be eaten.
  
  It is very much a tale of the small, vulnerable one besting, with wits, the bigger, more powerful one. Outwitting dangerous foes rather than resorting to violence is a common theme in children's books, especially in the 80s it seems. The fox was going to take advantage of the dentist, have his toothache cured and a new gold tooth fitted and then betray him. You could say it is a reflection of capitalist society as much as anything else. But it is also about helping others despite feeling threatened, and not pre-judging.
  
  It all came flooding back as I re-read it, and saw again those familiar illustrations (done by the author). Suddenly, my childhood and my present self were so much closer, almost touching, though memories of the past have been supplanted by new ones. It has new life. Especially as my husband Adam has taken to using "doctor de soto" as an adjective for, well, anything. "I feel very de-sotoed" we'll tell each other, or "It's very doctor de soto" - it means nothing and everything and is a private joke between us. And so a childhood book retains its nostalgia while also taking on a new place in the present!
• 
  Mahrya

  Steig, William, Doctor De Soto, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, unnumbered pages. Picture book, Newberry Honor book.
  
  Description: Dr. De Soto is a mouse who is also a dentist. He treats all animals, big and small, with the exception of animals who eat mice. When a fox comes in with a rotten tooth, he must decide whether or not to treat him.
  
  Review: Children will find this story hilarious, especially when Dr. De Soto climbs up a ladder to work on the teeth of his larger patients. In one particularly funny scene, the doctor dangles from a pulley over the open mouth of a donkey who crosses his hind legs nervously, his front hooves resting primly in his lap. Besides being funny, this story explores issues of morality with a light touch. As Dr. De Soto and his wife struggle with their obligation to treat a potentially deadly fox, the fox struggles with his desire to eat the De Sotos "raw with just a pinch of salt and a dry white wine." In the end, the De Sotos find a clever way to treat their patient and avoid being eaten.
  
  Doctor De Soto is probably not meant for children to read themselves. Some of the language is well beyond the reading ability of elementary school children. Even with an adult reading to them, most children will have to use a lot of context clues to decipher sentences like, "the secret formula must first permeate the dentine." While the talking animal characters and low text to picture ratio would seem to place the book's audience around first or second grade, third and fourth graders would be more likely to appreciate this book.
  
  Professional Reviews:
  
  Kirkus Reviews, 1982.
  This review focuses on Steig's unique treatment of the classic theme of animals outsmarting their predators. I agree with this assessment. By setting the story in a dentist office, this tale of predator and prey is given a strangely human twist.
  
  Publishers Weekly, April 1983.
  This very brief review calls the book a "sly tale of mischief." This statement is very true. It is especially mischievous to make the mouse more sly than the fox.
• 
  Dominick

  Slight but fun take on a beast fable, with mouse dentist Doctor De Soto catering to animals regardless of size, as long as they're not predators (e.g. cats, foxes etc.). The conceit of anthropomorphized animals living in a human-like world, complete with occupations, cars and so on, but still engaging in predator-prey relations is a weird one, admittedly, but arguably no more weird here than in the vast majority of such stories, except here it gets foregrounded a bit more. A fox with a toothache pleads with the doctor for treatment, and De Soto agrees, despite his fears. The fox's predatory instincts do in fact kick in. Initially, one might expect this book to offer a mouse and the lion sort of twist, where the natural prey relieves the pain of the natural predator and therefore forges an unlikely bond with it. That would not be very Steig-like, however. Instead, after the mouse helps the fox, the fox nevertheless decides to eat him. Steig is true enough to folk tale conventions to allow his mouse dentist to . . . well outfox his antagonist, however, so there's no gory conclusion (though there is a delightfully vivid tooth-pulling scene). Those who like their children's literature to come with comforting bromides and morals probably won't be too happy with this one, but then, when are they ever happy? Hey, at least Steig didn't have the dentist kill the fox but instead merely glue his mouth shut for a couple of days, so he'll be allll better soon!
• 
  Caroline

  What's most striking about William Steig's stories is how inventive they are. This one is no exception. Charming Dr. De Soto is one of my favorites. (My absolute favorite being his
  Sylvester and the Magic Pebble .)
• 
  Ashley

  This was a cute picture book about a mouse dentist. It was cute, but it's one of the very few Newberry books I have read and thought- Why?
• 
  Agnė

  Although the cover didn't seem that appealing, this book turned out to be such a delightful read!
• 
  Bridgette Redman

  It isn't often an author can have us cheering for a dentist. Especially if the author is writing for children.
  
  It shouldn't be a surprise that the author who succeeds at doing so is William Steig, the same man who created Shrek, the much-beloved ogre. He introduces us to Doctor DeSoto in his picture book of the same name. Doctor De Soto is a dentist with a thriving practice, ably assisted by his wife, Mrs. DeSoto.
  
  The DeSotos, by the way, are mice. Their patients are pigs, cows, donkeys, moles, chipmunks, and other such creatures. They are never ever cats, owls, wolves, or foxes. Well, never ever except once.
  
  The plot of this book is what the DeSotos do when a well-dressed fox in a great deal of pain shows up at their doorstep begging to be helped. Do they let him suffer? Or do they put their lives at risk by treating someone who would just as soon kill them?
  
  It is a story that Steig handles expertly and with a great deal of cleverness. It is one of those rare picture books that became a Newbery Honor book, an award usually reserved for chapter books. It also won a host of other literary awards. Perhaps it did because Doctor DeSoto is a tale of compassion, cleverness, and self-preservation. It is a story that shows us we can be kind to our enemies without being self-sacrificing.
  
  In a story that seems on the surface to be a simple one, we find fairly deep themes. The traditional Trickster is the one who ends up being tricked. We find a couple struggling to find a way to help someone who is likely to turn nasty once they have given their help. Steig shows us a solution where no one dies and no violence is committed. The DeSotos keep from becoming victims, but not by turning their backs on the would-be victimizers. It's a rare message and one that is done with style and subtlety.
  
  Steig, the creator of Shrek!, Dominic, and several award-winning picture books, is both the author and illustrator of Doctor DeSoto. His water color paintings show a busy city populated by anthropomorphic animals in human clothing who all travel on two feet. The colors favor pinks and purples, both great backgrounds for the highly expressive animals.
  
  While the target audience is elementary-age students, Steig includes plenty of challenging vocabulary, always choosing the precise word to convey meaning and mood. I appreciate his respect for children's acceptance that they can learn the words in the context with his supporting artwork.
  
  While the DeSotos are unlikely to achieve the technicolor fame of Steig's Shrek creation, they have secured their own legacy in children's literature--and for good reason. It's a book our family plans to enjoy many times over in the upcoming years.
• 
  Shanna Gonzalez

  Dr. DeSoto, a mouse, has a standing policy of never treating predators at his dental practice. One day, a fox appears and pleads for help, weeping so that Dr. and Mrs. DeSoto take pity on him and agree to replace his abscessed tooth. While helping him they realize he intends to eat them after his treatment is finished, and they devise a clever way to outwit him while still finishing the job.
  
  The story is satisfying on many levels. It builds on the principle of Aesop's fable of the crane and the wolf, showing that evil people will return evil for good. But the dentist and his wife demonstrate wisdom in doing good for this evil character, refusing to go back on their commitment yet not denying their real danger. In working together, this husband and wife team demonstrate courage, unity, and mutual care, exemplifying the kind of marriage I want to be defined as normal for my children.
  
  Steig tells the story in an understated way, with effective dialogue and gentle humor. Children will wait anxiously to find out how the two mice will resolve their problem, and will greatly enjoy the fox's discomfiture when he is defeated. This is an excellent early-reader story about how to deal with evil in the everyday world.
• 
  Heidi-Marie

  I always enjoy William Steig's illustrations. But there is something about his stories once in a while that leaves me kind of...upset? I mean, he writes the book in such a way that even though I know the fox intends to eat the two mice, I still feel really sorry for him! Is that bad/confusing writing or just me being weird? Plus, I'm trying to look at it as just a story, but somehow the way it's written makes it seem like there is supposed to be a moral. And if there is, it's a terrible one! "Discriminate. Don't trust others. Serve if necessary. There are some out there who will always be bad..." Yes, I know. I'm over-analyzing it all.
• 
  Claudia Bell

  Dr. DeSoto is a wonderful book about a very clever dentist who appears in the form of a mouse. He, full of compassion for hurting people, agrees to treat a fox, one of his arch enemies. William Steig uses wonderful illustrations and creative language, which is perfectly fitting, to show how compassion and intelligence can go hand in hand. This picture book is delightful not just for young readers.
• 
  Julie

  Doctor and Mrs. De Soto are clever enough to outsmart a not-quite-equally clever fox who wants to eat them when they finish his dentistry. Full of great detail; I love the ladders Mrs. De Soto has to climb to bring the equipment, and even the new gold tooth, to the patient's mouth. The De Sotos' kindness and good humor in treating "dangerous animals" pays off in the end. A School Library Journal Top 100 picture book.
• 
  Jennifer B.

  I'd picked this up because DENTIST MICE, but I had no idea the author was the same author of one of my most beloved childhood books, "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble". While Sylvester still has my heart, this book is also very lovely and clever, with wonderful illustrations. The dentist mice surpassed my expectations!
• 
  Mimi.Y

  To think I never thought of reading this book until that day. This was a really cute and funny book. It's funny that being a dentist can be a hazardous job especially if you are a mouse. I love how Doctor De Soto and his wife out smart the fox.
• 
  Ellinor

  A nice change that the fox for once isn't the clever guy!
• 
  Anna

  Not Steig's best, but still pretty good.
• 
  aPriL does feral sometimes

  Clever dentist who happens to be an altruistic small mouse helps a well-dressed large, and hungry, 🦊 fox with an aching tooth! Happy ending for all. Cute pictures.
• 
  Abigail

  In a story that is strongly reminiscent of the Aesopic fable concerning the wolf and the crane, murine dentist Dr. De Soto agrees to go against his standing policy, which states that he will not treat dangerous animals (like cats!), and accept a fox as a patient. Correctly interpreting his vulpine patient's desire to eat him, and his assistant (his wife, Mrs. De Soto), the good dentist is torn between his duty as a medical practitioner and his desire to remain in one piece. Fortunately, creative thinking, and a little cunning, allow the mice to outfox the fox, and escape unscathed.
  
  Atypically, Dr. De Soto was chosen as a Newbery Honor Book in 1983 - "atypically" because the Newbery is a writer's award, and is usually given to longer works, rather than to picture-books - but although I found the story engaging, and appreciated the interactions of text and image, I can't say that I thought this was a particularly award-worthy title. Still, I did enjoy it, and was charmed by Dr. and Mrs. De Soto, and their sangfroid in the face of danger. Seeing the "little guys" triumph is always fun, especially when the narrative and artwork are so full of humor.
• 
  Carol

  So many of William Steig’s storybooks would fit for this particular age group (7-9 years); however, Dr. De Soto, a Newbery Honor Book, is special in many ways. The plot involves a mouse who happens to be a dentist and his wife/assistant who together decide to treat a red fox with a painfully rotten tooth in spite of the obvious risk that the fox will eat Dr. De Soto and probably his wife, too. Most children are able to relate to the experience of going to a dentist, also they can see the humor in a little mouse agreeing to treat a huge fox, especially when the mouse must spend time in the fox’s mouth which is a very dangerous place to be. Even though they fear for their lives,the dentist and his wife make the choice to help the fox who is in great pain because they believe it is the right thing to do. This risk-taking and tough decision-making would appeal to readers of this age group as they are now able to understand and accept others’ perspectives. Another wonderful attribute of this book is the ironic twist at the end. Dr. De Soto and his wife outsmart the fox who is definitely planning to eat them by gluing his mouth shut under the pretense that the solution will protect his teeth. The illustrations are fun and consistent with the story, and the act of visiting a dentist’s office represents an experience that most people in a community would have. Perhaps, the best attribute of this book is that it highlights the process of problem solving when confronted with a moral dilemma, and Steig does this in a very amusing way.
  
  Ages 7-9 years
  Attention-getting example of problem-solving
  Introduction to a unit on making choices
  Teaching the concept of irony