An American Legend: All About the Tooth Fairy
If you’ve already read our post on the History of the Tooth Fairy, you know that the fairy we imagine today is a uniquely American character. The image you probably picture is of a winged woman in a pretty dress with fairy dust and a magic wand. You most likely have Walt Disney to thank for this caricature. With the rise of full-length animated features, the modern fairy took shape, and most of us have the same general idea of what she looks like.
The Tooth Fairy Consultant, Professor Rosemary Wells, had her own ideas, though. Even though she took the time to find out all about the tooth fairy, Professor Wells told the Chicago Tribune in 1991 that she felt the tooth fairy’s identity should remain a mystery. She thought it should be up to each child’s own imagination to decide what the tooth fairy looks like.
What does the tooth fairy look like?
We tend to agree with Ms. Wells that since the tooth fairy’s job is to personally reduce anxiety in young children about changes they can’t control, those kids should have the freedom to dream up the tooth fairy that makes them happy.
For those who prefer to leave the art to the artists, our shop has several books that you and your child can read together to create an image of what the tooth fairy looks like that works for you.
Of course, Hollywood loves to turn tradition on its ear when they take on a project. Several family films in the last 20 years have decided to tell us what they think the tooth fairy looks like, and they portray our beloved fairy as a male character!
In Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), The tooth fairy is played by Art LaFleur, who helps the jolly old elf out of a few jams.
In 2010, 20th Century Fox brought us none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to play the Tooth Fairy as penance for bad behavior in his day job as a hockey player. Larry “The Cable Guy” Guthrie revived the character in a straight to video sequel in 2012.
The Fairy is in the Eye of the Beholder
Despite the ideas of our most creative writers and illustrators in Hollywood, the tooth fairy’s relatively young age means most of his or her characteristics are up for interpretation.
Parents and kids are free to explore their own imaginations to learn all about the tooth fairy. At FlutterPop, we encourage families to make the fairy personal. As your child’s first tooth shows signs of wiggling, help him or her ease into this new phase of growing up by talking about the tooth fairy together. It might be helpful to create a list with questions like where does the tooth fairy live? What does the tooth fairy look like? How big is the tooth fairy? What does the tooth fairy eat? This would be a great time to also go over some guidelines that make the tooth fairy’s job easier, like getting to bed on time and keeping the tooth in an accessible spot. Review our 6 Simple Tooth Fairy Rules for ideas about how to approach this new and exciting experience in your kid’s development.
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