Picture Day ... and the Missing Tooth

written by Suzanne Ridolfi

illustrated by Dawn Griffin

written by Suzanne Ridolfi

illustrated by Dawn Griffin Eifrig Publishing Berlin Lemont

© 2009 by Suzanne Ridolfi Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise.

Published by Eifrig Publishing, PO Box 66, 701 Berry Street, Lemont, PA 16851, USA Knobelsdorffstr. 44, 14059 Berlin, Germany.

For information regarding permission, contact: Rights and Permissions Department, Eifrig Publishing, PO Box 66, 701 Berry Street, Lemont, PA 16851, USA. publish@eifrigenterprises.com, www.eifrigenterprises.com Tel/Fax.: (888) 340-6543 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ridolfi, Suzanne Abby’s Adventures: Picture Day ... and the Missing Tooth! /

by Suzanne Ridolfi, illustrated by Dawn Griffin p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-9795518-8-8 [1. School picture - Fiction. 2. Self-image - Fiction. 3. Lost Tooth- Fiction] I. Griffin, Dawn, ill. II. Title: Abby’s Adventures: Picture Day ... and the Missing Tooth!

13 12 11 10 2009 54321 Printed on acid-free paper. ∞

This book is dedicated to my daughter Ashley my inspiration, my son Nicholas my hero, and my son Ryan my sunshine.

S. R.

“Abby, wake up, dear.

It’s

Picture Day,” called Mother.

Abby jumped out of bed, skipped to her closet, and picked out her

favorite purple and yellow

flowered dress and a pair of shiny black shoes.

She combed her hair...

and brushed her teeth...

That’s when it

happened...

tooth

Her popped right out of her mouth and fell into the sink!

Abby looked in the mirror and smiled slightly and saw a big gaping

hole where her tooth used to be.

Oh No! “I can’t get my picture taken looking like this!” cried Abby.

“What can I do?” she wondered.

Suddenly, Abby remembered seeing a

spare pai r of teeth in Nana’s room...

She was sure Nana wouldn’t mind after all, it was for a good cause.

“Perfect,” she thought as she crammed them in her mouth and flashed her biggest smile.

“Oh no!” she gasped.

“They look so much better on

Nana.”

Just then, Abby remembered Daddy wore a set of teeth on

Halloween.

She rushed to the basement, searching for the box. They were right on top.

costume

She ran to the bathroom, placed the teeth in her mouth, and grinned.

“Oh my, they won’t do at all. It’s no use,” sighed Abby. “There is that can hide my missing tooth.”

nothing

“Unless...”

Abby’s eyes lit up as she rushed to the kitchen, threw open the pantry, and pulled out the bag of

mini marshmallows.

“Abby, are you ready?” said Mother.

“Umhm,” mumbled Abby.

“You look very lovely, dear,” said Mother.

Abby smiled, and the marshmallow

tumbled right out of her mouth.

Big tears ran down her face. “It’s no use.

I can’t take my picture today,” sobbed Abby.

“I think I understand,” said Mother.

“Wait right here.”

baby album.

Mother returned with Abby’s “There is something I want to show you.”

Mother opened the book to a picture of Abby as a one-year-old. She had a

big bright smile

with a mouth full of gums and only two teeth on the bottom.

“I looked so

cute,”

beamed Abby.

“Yes, you did, and you will look just as cute today.

Losing teeth is a part of

growing up.

You are my beautiful little girl with or without teeth.”

“True beauty comes from within all you have to do is smile and let it shine through.”

“Thanks, Mother, I think I’m ready now.”

Abby smiled her

brightest

smile that day.

Our goal is to help each child to realize that no matter how difficult growing up may seem,

“It’s okay to be me!”

The author, Suzanne Ridolfi, holds a degree in Psychology and has done Master’s work in Child Psychology. With the Abby series, she hopes to help young children cope with their insecurities while building a strong sense of self-esteem through laughter and courage. She and her husband, Joe, live in New Jersey with their three children, Ashley, Nick, and Ryan.

The artist, Dawn Griffin, holds a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from Tyler School of Art. She works as a designer for a snack foods company and has an extensive freelance illustration portfolio. Her online comic strip “Zorphbert and Fred” (zfcomics.com) has been published in comic collectives and has received many honors. She resides in Havertown, PA.

Visit Abby for fun activities at www.abbysfanclub.com!

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