“Doctor De Soto, the dentist, did very good work.” With the aid of his able assistant, Mrs. De Soto, he copes with the toothaches of animals large and small. His expertise is so great that his fortunate patients never feel any pain.

Since he’s a mouse, Doctor De Soto refuses to treat “dangerous” animals—that is, animals who have a taste for mice. But one day a fox shows up and begs for relief from the tooth that's killing him. How can the kindhearted De Sotos turn him away? But how can they make sure that the fox doesn’t give in to his baser instincts once his tooth is fixed? Those clever De Sotos will find a way.

Doctor De Soto is a 1982 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year, a 1983 Boston Globe - Horn Book Awards Honor Book for Picture Books, and a 1983 Newbery Honor Book.
本书荣获1982年纽约时报儿童书奖；
1983年波士顿号角书银奖
1983年纽伯瑞银奖。
本书虽然是纽伯瑞银奖的小说，其实更像绘本或图画故事书，

细心的家长甚至可以在市场上找到相关的动画片

聪明的老鼠，穿着白大褂，他的工作是牙医。给大大小小的动物们看病，需要动脑筋，差别可不小。

尤其是……还要给狡猾的狐狸看牙。说不定，狐狸今天想吃的就是一只香脆老鼠呢？

最后，牙医会怎么对付狐狸呢？

这个故事文字适中，适合给3-6岁的小朋友阅读。

　　“I cannot imagine childhood without Steig: Sylvester, Pearl, Caleb, and now Doctor De Soto.”—The Dallas Morning News
　　“This is one of those picture books that are so good I’d just like to quote the whole thing.”—Philadelphia Inquirer
　　“Simple but sly, a mischievously imaginative rendition of the classic theme.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
　　“Doctor De Soto is a mouse dentist who . . . operates a clinic open to all except animals threatening to mice. What to do, then, when a weeping and wailing fox shows up for treatment? . . . There is great wit and good fun in the illustrations.”—Booklist, Starred Review