TodayLocal author pens children’s book on oral hygiene
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Floyd Stokes holds his new book, “Say Ahh! The Teeth Book.” Jason Malmont/The Sentinel
Once upon a time, there was a little boy with buck teeth. When the other children made fun of him, he brushed his teeth as much as he could and soon his buck teeth were the brightest in town.
Such is the real-life story behind children’s author Floyd Stokes’ fondness for teeth. Later in life, it sparked the idea for his second book, “Say Ahh! The Teeth Book,” set for release Thursday.
“If you’re going to tease me for having buck teeth,” Stokes said he remembered thinking as a child, “I’m going to have the cleanest and whitest buck teeth you’ve ever seen.”
Stokes said he meant for his new book to encourage good oral hygiene habits in children while teaching readers about different animals’ teeth.
He said he’s read studies that show a correlation between poor dental health and poor health elsewhere in the body, specifically in cases of high blood pressure.
Building better futures
Like his latest, Stokes’ first book, “Teddy, The Hungry Little Bear,” impressed good habits on children, though its message was about healthy diet and exercise.
Stokes’ books also tie into his work with the American Literacy Corporation, an organization he founded to encourage children to read.
He said education is crucial to children’s success in life and good health is crucial to success in education.
“If they haven’t taken care of their teeth and they’re having health problems, learning is the last thing on their minds,” Stokes said.
He would know.
Growing up poor in Mississippi, Stokes didn’t always have energy left over to study hard after working and worrying about where his next meal would come from.
He said lack of education was to blame for his mother’s poverty and she would agree.
She took her son to neighbors’ houses when he was growing up, Stokes said, so that he would have someone read to him even though his mother couldn’t.
More from Stokes
Stokes’ American Literacy Corporation also promotes parents’ reading to children and offers classes for parents who want to do more family reading at home.
Children learn from watching their parents, he said. Even parents who press their children to read would do better to sit down and read with them.
That’s why Stokes’ third book, “Popcorn Popcorn,” is still in keeping with the ALC’s mission despite its lack of a formal message.
The book, which is already well on its way to readers, was inspired by Stokes’ 4-year-old daughter, Madison, when one day she picked out popcorn pieces she thought looked like different animals.
As a more serious project, Stokes is working on a book about Mound Bayou, Miss., a town founded by a freed slave in 1887.
“There is nothing that makes me more happy than to sit down in front of children and read and hear their responses,” Stokes said.
A release party for “Say Ahh! The Teeth Book” is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on July 31 at the Strawberry Square atrium in Harrisburg.
