Doctor De Soto by William Steig
"Doctor De Soto" is a children’s book by William Steig that follows the story of a mouse dentist named Dr. De Soto who faces ethical dilemmas while treating a fox with a toothache. Despite his established rule of not treating potentially dangerous animals, Dr. De Soto decides to help the suffering fox out of compassion. The narrative is enriched with humor and lively illustrations, which complement the moral complexities as Dr. De Soto navigates the challenges posed by the fox's predatory instincts.
Throughout the story, themes of empathy, cleverness, and the struggle between self-preservation and altruism emerge as Dr. De Soto and his wife devise a plan to ensure their safety while providing dental care. The fox, initially grateful, grapples with his intentions to consume the De Sotos once he is treated, highlighting the tension between predator and prey. The resolution is both satisfying and clever, as the dentist outwits the fox, ultimately addressing the moral implications of their encounter.
William Steig's approach to storytelling combines whimsical elements with meaningful lessons, making "Doctor De Soto" a notable entry in children's literature. The book was recognized as a Newbery Honor Book in 1982, showcasing Steig's talent for creating engaging narratives that resonate with young readers while addressing deeper ethical questions.
Doctor De Soto by William Steig
First published: 1982; illustrated
Subjects: Animals, health and illness, and jobs and work
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Principal Characters:
Dr. De Soto , a mouse dentist who treats all animals, except the dangerousMrs. De Soto , his wife and assistantThe fox , who is rescued from his pain by the De Sotos
Form and Content
Doctor De Soto tells the story of a mouse dentist who takes pity on a fox with a toothache. Told in third-person narration, the lively story presents several moral dilemmas. It is Dr. De Soto’s established rule, posted by sign, that he does not treat animals that are potentially dangerous to him. Out of compassion for a fox who is in great pain, however, he sets aside this rule and provides treatment. Under anesthesia, the fox reveals his fondness for mice as food, and the dentist must decide whether to continue treatment the following day. The fox, on the other hand, wonders only briefly if it would be “shabby” to devour his benefactors; by the next day, he has overcome his thin moral resolve with plans to eat Dr. and Mrs. De Soto as soon as his new tooth is in place.
The compassion of the mice is matched by their courage and cleverness. After a night of debating whether to continue treating the fox, Dr. De Soto decides to follow his father’s principle of always finishing what he starts. When the fox arrives the next morning, the De Sotos have a plan in place. After the new tooth is installed, the dentist offers to coat the fox’s teeth with a substance that will prevent any further tooth decay, and the fox eagerly consents. After all, if he eats the dentist, he will have eliminated the very person who might treat him for future dental distress. The mixture seals the fox’s teeth together temporarily, and the outwitted fox must leave without devouring the De Sotos.
This bright, lively story is easy to read and provides a satisfactory conclusion. The De Sotos struggle with their natural tendency to protect themselves against a predator in order to perform an act of compassion for the agonized fox. While the fox is unable to overcome his natural tendency to the consume mice as an act of appreciation for their kindness, he still receives the treatment that he needs and wanders out of the story somewhat stunned but out of pain.
William Steig uses an economy of line to create the settings for the narrative and to convey the emotions and intentions of his characters. The illustrations on each page provide the reader with interesting and humorous details and help make the story entirely believable, within the boundaries of the fantasy created. While mice are not dentists with large animals for patients, Steig shows how this would be possible if they were. Dr. De Soto uses a miniature form of standard dental equipment but reaches his patients by ladder and works directly inside their mouths, using boots to keep his feet dry. Indeed, the kindly dentist is quite popular with larger animals because of his delicate touch and dainty drills. For work that calls for additional strength, such as pulling teeth, Dr. De Soto is assisted by his wife, who skillfully operates a system of ropes, cranks, and pulleys.
Critical Context
As a young man, William Steig proclaimed his ambition to be a writer, but he turned his talents to cartooning as a way to make a living. At the suggestion of Robert Kraus, a children’s writer and colleague at The New Yorker, Steig began writing books for children. Doctor De Soto was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1982, the second of his books to receive that honor. Steig’s The Amazing Bone (1976) was named a Caldecott Honor Book and Abel’s Island was named a Newbery Honor Book. Before that, he won the Caldecott Medal in 1969 for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, a fantasy featuring a stone that grants wishes.
Seemingly defenseless animals who survive by their own wits or magic are featured in other books by Steig. He created Amanda the pig, who uses a talking bone to escape capture in The Amazing Bone, and Solomon the rabbit, who turns himself into a nail in order to avoid a cat in Solomon the Rusty Nail (1985). In folktale fashion, Steig’s protagonists are transformed in some way for the better by their experiences, developing patience, insight, courage, or a sense of humor out of the ordeals that they face.
Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa, the sequel to Doctor De Soto, features Mrs. De Soto in a more prominent role and provides her name (Deborah) for the first time. Both books portray the De Sotos in the classic tradition of husband-and-wife teams: warm and loving, quick-thinking and courageous. They encounter serious problems but retain their sense of adventure with unfailing humor.