From the author of Shrek...meet some mice!

It isn't often an author can have us cheering for a dentist. Especially if the author is writing for children.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the author who succeeds at doing so is William Steig, the same man who created Shrek, the much-beloved ogre. He introduces us to Doctor DeSoto in his picture book of the same name. Doctor De Soto is a dentist with a thriving practice, ably assisted by his wife, Mrs. DeSoto.

The DeSotos, by the way, are mice. Their patients are pigs, cows, donkeys, moles, chipmunks, and other such creatures. They are never ever cats, owls, wolves, or foxes. Well, never ever except once.

The plot of this book is what the DeSotos do when a well-dressed fox in a great deal of pain shows up at their doorstep begging to be helped. Do they let him suffer? Or do they put their lives at risk by treating someone who would just as soon kill them?

It is a story that Steig handles expertly and with a great deal of cleverness. It is one of those rare picture books that became a Newbery Honor book, an award usually reserved for chapter books. It also won a host of other literary awards. Perhaps it did because Doctor DeSoto is a tale of compassion, cleverness, and self-preservation. It is a story that shows us we can be kind to our enemies without being self-sacrificing.

In a story that seems on the surface to be a simple one, we find fairly deep themes. The traditional Trickster is the one who ends up being tricked. We find a couple struggling to find a way to help someone who is likely to turn nasty once they have given their help. Steig shows us a solution where no one dies and no violence is committed. The DeSotos keep from becoming victims, but not by turning their backs on the would-be victimizers. It's a rare message and one that is done with style and subtlety.

Steig, the creator of Shrek!, Dominic, and several award-winning picture books, is both the author and illustrator of Doctor DeSoto. His water color paintings show a busy city populated by anthropomorphic animals in human clothing who all travel on two feet. The colors favor pinks and purples, both great backgrounds for the highly expressive animals.

While the target audience is elementary-age students, Steig includes plenty of challenging vocabulary, always choosing the precise word to convey meaning and mood. I appreciate his respect for children's acceptance that they can learn the words in the context with his supporting artwork.

While the DeSotos are unlikely to achieve the technicolor fame of Steig's Shrek creation, they have secured their own legacy in children's literature--and for good reason. It's a book our family plans to enjoy many times over in the upcoming years.