ANNABEL THE DETECTIVE: THE CASE OF THE MISSING TOOTH Dorothy Joan Harris Illustrated by Amanda Duffy Duffy Toronto, HarperCollins, 1991. 32pp, paper, $4.95 ISBN 0-00-617949-5. An Early Ready*Set*Read Book. CIP Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3/Agcs 4 to 8 Reviewed by B. Henley. Volume 19 Number 5 1991 October The subject of this story is one all young children will relate to as each child passes through the "losing a tooth" stage. The author has captured that exciting time when a child can't wait to put his lost tooth under the pillow in expectation of the arrival of the tooth fairy. But in Annabel the Detective: The Case of the Missing Tooth, this occurrence takes on a twist. Michael, a friend of Annabel's, has quite literally lost his tooth, and with Annabel's expert sleuthing, he manages to find it again. Suspense builds in a humorous way. Annabel continues to frustrate Michael by returning home several times for items that will assist her in her search. In the end, though, he agrees that she is "pretty good at finding things. This is a delightful little book. The illustrations, which are numerous, are enclosed within interesting geometrical shapes. In addition to these, the margins of each page contain tiny pictures of items that relate to the story. Children seem to love these extra finds — anything to make the story last longer! For many children, being able to read their first real book coincides with the time they begin to feel that first tooth loosening. In this way, Annabel is age-appropriate. The text is fairly simple and many key words are repeated throughout. In addition, youngsters are introduced to the concept of the detec­tive novel, a genre that is popular with many older children. All in all, I think this will be a popular book for many young readers. Highly recommended. B. Henley, Brantford Collegiate Institute and Vocational School, Brantford, Ont.