In 2006 I wrote an article about teaching pigs to sing. A fable about the tooth fairy was included in the description of my frustrated efforts to introduce skeptical thinking principles. If you click on the link, you will be able to read the original article. The tooth fairy fable was turned into a children's book by a fan of the UK who thought it should be made into a movie. HeIllustrated my text. It took several years and a lot of hard work, but there is a book about the tooth fairy.
Pre-order the book at Barnes and Noble. August 8, 2022, is the official release date. The measure of how many to print and stock will be used. The faster the delivery time, the more stock they have.
You can buy it now at Book Baby.
There is a story.
Henry is excited to get his money from the tooth fairy because he lost a tooth. He was told by his sister that there is no such thing as the tooth fairy. She asks questions he can't answer, like how she gets into his room and what she does with all the teeth. She tries to convince Henry that their parents put the money under his pillow. She shows the video camera evidence. Even when his sister tries to get a confession from the parents, Henry refuses to listen. Either they were lying when they said there was a tooth fairy or they are lying today. He can't believe what they say so he goes by what he knows. The tooth fairy brings money to him.
There is a 3 page introduction to how our brains work at the back of the book.
Younger children will laugh at Henry's stubbornness and folly, even though it is intended for ages 6 to 8. Adults will appreciate the book more than children because of the skeptical details and references. Every time I read the book again, I notice something I didn't see. There is a box labeled "Dunning Kruger foil" Henry is keeping his stuffed rabbit from looking at the evidence. A person is lying against a wall. The author has a book about the Triangle. There are pictures of two people on a wall. A spoon is being bent by a man.
Henry wondered what his sister would think of his dragon.
The parents could compete to see who could spot the most details with skeptic themes. The children know who act like Henry. Is Uncle Bob against immunizations? Is Aunt Martha against wearing a seatbelt? Is astrology true or that it worked for her? I wonder if Cousin Morris is taking Ivermectin to ward off Covid-19.
Henrys ignore evidence and persist in believing what they want to believe in order to benefit from it. They rationalize, cry "fake news" and even invent conspiracy theories to protect their beliefs. I don't give examples, but I'm sure you've seen plenty of Henrys.
The sister of Henry is a great example of a scientist. Henry is an example of that. We need more people.
We did everything we could to keep the book's price down. We spent our own money to self-publish and we hope to get some of that money back. The book is an important addition to skepticism for children. Skeptics wrote positive comments.
It can be hard to change a belief when it's based on emotion and superstition. The book is going to be useful. You should give a copy to children you know will benefit from it. Even to some adults who might benefit more. Donate copies to libraries. We need your help getting the next generation off to a good start. Thanks a lot.
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