Read Aloud Hall of Fame #19: DOCTOR DE SOTO

You need a book. A can’t miss book. A read aloud that will cast a wide net and pull everyone in. This is the idea behind The 100 Scope Notes Read Aloud Hall of Fame.

In each post I’ll share a read aloud that has never let me down. Some will be obvious and popular. Others lesser-known. All will be story time gold.

Click here to see all the Read Aloud Hall of Fame inductees.

Doctor De Soto by William Steig

How good is the writing in Doctor De Soto? It was a National Book Award finalist. It won a Newbery Honor, but those are secondary to the fact that this book absolutely holds up, and has kids in 2025 hanging on every line and page turn. I usually read it with 2nd graders.

Not to get too nerdy here, but I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out why this story is so engaging and here are a few elements that I think play important roles:

1. The main character has an unexpectedly perfect job. A mouse dentist is so smart. Also, almost everyone has been to the dentist, so it feels familiar.
2. Because of this job, danger enters the story right away. As soon as you hear that De Soto climbs in the mouths of larger animals to do his work, it sets up the idea of a dangerous animal (Fox) needing help, creating a moral dilemma for De Soto.
3. We briefly enter the mind of the villain and the danger is confirmed and heightened. At key points in the story, we hear the thoughts of the fox, who has bad intentions.
4. We experience the glorious element of surprise as the hero cleverly outwits the villain. It’s such a satisfying ending. He helps the fox, and also outsmarts him by temporarily sealing his teeth together.

Sooo. It’s a really good read aloud.

Filed under: Read Aloud Hall of Fame