''Doctor De Soto'' is a
children's picture book written and illustrated by
William Steig
William Steig (November 14, 1907 – October 3, 2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books, best known for the picture book ''Shrek!'', which inspired the film series of the same name, as well as others that in ...
and first published in 1982. It features a mouse dentist who must help a fox with a toothache without being eaten.
Steig and his book won the 1983
National Book Award for Children's Books in category Picture Books, Hardcover, as did
Barbara Cooney
Barbara Cooney (August 6, 1917 – March 10, 2000) was an American writer and illustrator of 110 children's books, published over sixty years. She received two Caldecott Medals for her work on ''Chanticleer and the Fox'' (1958) and '' Ox-Cart Ma ...
for ''
Miss Rumphius''.
["National Book Awards – 1983"]
. National Book Foundation
The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...
. Retrieved 2012-02-22.[Picture books were separately recognized for only two years in National Book Awards history, during four years when there were dual hardcover and paperback awards in many categories.]
''Doctor De Soto'' was also recognized as a
Newbery Honor Book
The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished cont ...
. At 32 pages it is one of the shortest to be honored in that awards program.
Plot
The story is about Dr. De Soto, a mouse
dentist
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the mouth, oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofaci ...
who lives in a world of anthropomorphic animals. He and his wife, who serves as his assistant, work together to treat patients with as little pain as possible. Dr. De Soto uses different chairs, depending on the size of the animal, or simply has the patient sit on the floor, using a stepladder or with Mrs. De Soto guiding her husband with a system of
pulley
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
s for treating extra-large animals. They refuse to treat any animal who likes to eat mice.
One day, a well-dressed fox with a toothache drops by and begs for treatment. Dr. De Soto feels pity for the fox and Mrs. De Soto suggests they risk it, so they admit the fox as a patient. They give the fox some
anesthetic
An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia — in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into two ...
and proceed to treat the bad tooth. However, while under anesthesia, the fox unknowingly exclaims how he loves to eat mice (including with a dry, white wine). The De Sotos remove the bad tooth, and tell the fox to come back the next day to get a
false tooth
A bridge is a fixed dental restoration (a fixed dental prosthesis) used to replace one or more missing teeth by joining an artificial tooth definitively to adjacent teeth or dental implants.
Definitions
Fixed bridge: A dental prosthesis that ...
. On his way home, the fox notes that it is crass to try to eat the creature that had just relieved him of much pain, but still doesn't dismiss the idea. Later that night, Dr. and Mrs. De Soto, as she prepares the new tooth of gold, debate whether to readmit the fox. Dr. De Soto feels it was foolish to trust a fox, but Mrs. De Soto says she thinks the fox was reacting to the anesthetic in his comments. In the end Dr. De Soto vows, as his father taught him, to finish the job he started, but they formulate a plan to protect themselves.
The next day, the fox returns; he is much happier, out of pain, and anxiously awaits the installation of his new tooth. Dr. De Soto puts in the new tooth, but by now the fox has decided to give in to temptation and eat them. Dr. De Soto then introduces a new formula the couple created recently, and claiming that one application will prevent toothaches forever asks the fox if he'd like to be the first to try it, who, hating pain, readily agrees. The dentist takes his time and paints each tooth with the formula, then has the patient clench his jaws shut for a full minute. The fox is surprised to find that his mouth has been glued shut, as this is what the secret formula really is, but Dr. De Soto states that he "should have mentioned" that the formula needs time to permeate the
dentin
Dentin () (American English) or dentine ( or ) (British English) ( la, substantia eburnea) is a calcified tissue of the body and, along with enamel, cementum, and pulp, is one of the four major components of teeth. It is usually covered by ena ...
and as a result, the fox will not be able to open his mouth for a day or two. Stunned, the deceived patient can only reply with 'frank oo berry mush' and in a daze, leave with as much dignity as possible.
The book ends with the De Sotos triumphant at having "outfoxed the fox", and they take the rest of the day off.
The plot of the book bears many similarities to
a fable by Aesop regarding a wolf and a crane; in both stories, a predator has trouble with their mouth or throat, and requires the aid of another animal to place themselves inside the jaws of the beast. In the original fable, the wolf simply decides that letting the crane live is reward enough, and the crane goes without payment. In this story the fox decides to eat the protagonist but is ultimately outsmarted.
Adaptation
An animated short of ''Doctor De Soto'' was directed in 1984 by American animator
Michael Sporn
Michael Sporn (April 23, 1946 – January 19, 2014) was an American animator who founded his New York City-based company, Michael Sporn Animation
in 1980, and produced and directed numerous animated TV specials and short spots.
Sporn was nominate ...
for
Weston Woods Studios
Weston Woods Studios (or simply Weston Woods) is a production company that makes audio and short films based on well-known books for children.
It was founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel in Weston, Connecticut, and named after the wooded area near h ...
.
It was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year ...
.
The film adaptation of this book also received the
CINE
Ciné film or cine film is the term commonly used in the UK and historically in the US to refer to the 8 mm, Super 8, 9.5 mm, and 16 mm motion picture film formats used for home movies. It is not normally used to refer to ...
Golden Eagle Award in Education.
Notes
References
External links
Scanned eBook on Internet Archive*
* {{Internet Archive short film, doctordesoto_20170601
1982 children's books
American children's books
American picture books
Newbery Honor-winning works
National Book Award for Young People's Literature winning works
Children's books adapted into films
Books about mice and rats
Books about foxes
Anthropomorphic mice and rats
Fictional dentists
Male characters in literature
Characters in children's literature
Literary characters introduced in 1982
Books by William Steig
1984 films
1984 short films
1984 animated films
1980s American animated films
1980s animated short films
American animated short films
Animated films based on children's books
Films about mice and rats
Animated films about foxes