There is a sound that fills a home with lightness — it isn’t music, or chatter, or the television. It’s laughter. The bright, pure, unstoppable laughter of a child can soften even the hardest day. But somewhere between the to-do lists, the phone calls, and the bedtime routines, parents sometimes forget to laugh along. We smile, we correct, we remind — but we rarely let ourselves join the giggles. In her cheering children’s book Child Life Lesson 101: The Freckle Gifting Tooth Fairy, A Toot, and The Snoggles, author Cheryl C. Walls reminds us that laughter is not just for children. It’s the bridge that connects parents and kids, turning ordinary moments into lifelong memories. Walls’s three stories — “The Freckle Gifting Tooth Fairy,” “A Toot,” and “The Snoggles” — are filled with giggles, playfulness, and pure imagination. But beneath their silliness lies something far more significant: a quiet invitation for parents to loosen up, laugh more, and remember what it feels like to see the world through a child’s eyes.
In The Freckle Gifting Tooth Fairy, Walls takes an ordinary childhood event — losing a tooth — and transforms it into a magical adventure. The Tooth Fairy in her world doesn’t just leave behind a coin; she gifts a freckle with a gentle kiss. It’s a small detail, but it captures the kind of wonder that children naturally find in life. When parents join in that wonder — when they laugh and play along — they give their children something precious: permission to keep dreaming. Bedtime becomes more than a nightly routine; it becomes a shared moment of connection. A parent’s laughter at the idea of freckles being fairy kisses becomes a signal to a child that their imagination matters. The same spirit flows through A Toot, perhaps the silliest and most relatable of the three stories. Every parent knows the sudden silence before a burst of giggles when a toot sneaks out at the dinner table or in the classroom. For a child, it’s comedy gold. For an adult, it’s often embarrassment. But Walls turns this moment into something wonderfully human. She writes about how toots can be shy or sneaky, how each has its own smell, and how it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, she teaches children to simply say “excuse me” and move on. It’s a gentle, humorous lesson in manners — and a reminder for parents that laughter can be the best way to teach.
When a parent reads A Toot aloud and laughs with their child, they aren’t just sharing a joke. They’re modeling self-acceptance. They’re showing that our bodies, our quirks, and even our most awkward moments can be met with kindness and humor. Children learn not just from what we tell them, but from how we react. When they see us laugh at life’s small surprises, they learn to meet the world with joy instead of shame. Then comes The Snoggles, where Walls in From Baby Teeth to Giggles: Why Small Moments Create Big Memories
It’s often said that childhood passes in the blink of an eye. One day, a child is proudly showing off their first loose tooth, and the next, they’re off chasing dreams of their own. But if you look closely, you’ll notice that the memories that last the longest—the ones that shape children and warm a parent’s heart—aren’t built on grand events or big achievements. They’re formed in the small, magical, everyday moments filled with laughter, imagination, and love.
That belief sits beautifully at the heart of Cheryl C. Walls’s charming children’s book Child Life Lesson 101: The Freckle Gifting Tooth Fairy, A Toot, and The Snoggles. Through three delightful stories—each simple in setting yet rich in warmth—Walls shows how ordinary experiences can become extraordinary when seen through a child’s eyes. From the wonder of losing a baby tooth to the silliness of a runaway toot or a mischievous Snoggle, her stories remind us that the smallest moments often leave the biggest marks on our hearts.
In The Freckle Gifting Tooth Fairy, Walls reimagines a childhood classic with a creative twist. Every child knows the excitement of losing a tooth, the anticipation of placing it under a pillow, and the thrill of waking up to find a surprise left behind. But Walls adds a sprinkle of whimsy that turns this familiar tradition into something unforgettable. In her story, the Tooth Fairy’s kiss leaves behind not just coins but freckles—tiny, magical reminders of being loved and noticed.
What makes this story so special is not just its creativity, but its emotional truth. Walls captures the simple courage of childhood—the pride of pulling a loose tooth, the curiosity of wondering how the Tooth Fairy finds her way, and the excitement that fills the room at bedtime. When a parent reads this story with their child, it becomes more than a bedtime tale. It becomes a shared memory. It teaches both parent and child that even the smallest milestones deserve celebration. Losing a tooth isn’t just a step toward growing up—it’s a moment to pause, smile, and recognize how far a little one has come.
The next story, A Toot, brings laughter right into the heart of family life. Every parent has experienced the uncontrollable giggles that come after an unexpected toot. For adults, it might seem trivial or even embarrassing, but for children, it’s pure joy—and for Walls, it’s a chance to teach an important lesson. In this story, she describes how toots can be shy or sneaky, but always uniquely your own. Through playful rhymes and gentle humor, she encourages children not to feel ashamed but to simply say “excuse me” and carry on.
It’s a message that goes deeper than manners. By inviting laughter instead of scolding, Walls shows that humor is one of the most powerful ways to teach. A child who learns to handle small embarrassments with laughter and grace grows into an adult who can face bigger challenges the same way. And when parents laugh along, they send a powerful message: you’re loved, even in your silliest moments.
Walls’s final story, The Snoggles, adds another layer to this idea—that even life’s little inconveniences can become moments of joy and imagination. Here, she introduces the Snoggles, funny little creatures that come to visit when children have runny noses or sneezes. Instead of turning a sniffle into a scolding, Walls turns it into an adventure. The Snoggles love to play, she writes, but they’ll leave quickly if tissues are nearby. With this charming idea, Walls transforms a common childhood experience into a game that teaches hygiene in a way children love.
This gentle approach reflects what Walls believes deeply as both a writer and a parent: that stories can teach without preaching. They can turn daily moments into learning opportunities while still keeping the magic of childhood alive. Every parent knows how difficult it can be to explain manners or cleanliness without it feeling like a lecture. But through the eyes of fairies, toots, and Snoggles, these lessons become fun. Children listen, laugh, and remember.
At the heart of Walls’s work is her real-life inspiration—her daughter Meredith. In the dedication of the book, Walls shares how Meredith’s independence and curiosity sparked the idea for these stories. When Meredith once pulled out her own baby teeth and asked, “What if the Tooth Fairy can’t read?”, it set her mother’s imagination spinning. That one sweet, curious question became the seed for stories that would celebrate not just childhood, but the bond between parent and child.
And that’s exactly what makes Child Life Lesson 101 such a heartwarming read. It doesn’t just entertain—it strengthens connections. When parents take time to laugh with their children, to read with them, or to join them in imagining fairies and sneeze-loving creatures, they are doing more than telling stories. They are building emotional bridges. Those bedtime giggles and whispered questions under the covers become the memories children hold onto long after they’ve outgrown their toys.
Walls’s storytelling reminds us that children don’t need grand gestures to feel loved. They don’t remember every toy or outing. What they remember is the sound of laughter shared after a funny story, the warmth of a parent’s voice reading by lamplight, and the joy of knowing they were listened to and understood. These are the moments that shape their confidence, their kindness, and their sense of belonging.
Through the gentle humor of A Toot, the wonder of The Freckle Gifting Tooth Fairy, and the playful charm of The Snoggles, Cheryl C. Walls encourages parents and caregivers to slow down, to listen, and to laugh. She reminds us that life’s beauty lies in its small moments—the freckles, the giggles, the sneezes, and the bedtime stories that weave families together.
The lesson is simple yet profound: small moments create big memories. A giggle shared between parent and child can turn an ordinary night into a treasured one. A bedtime story filled with imagination can nurture courage and curiosity that last a lifetime. And a little laughter can teach more about love and resilience than any lecture ever could.
So tonight, when your child crawls into bed and asks for one more story, don’t rush. Take a deep breath, open the book, and read with your whole heart. Smile at the fairies, laugh at the toots, wave goodbye to the Snoggles, and let those moments fill your home with warmth. Because years from now, when your child looks back, it won’t be the grand plans they remember—it will be the small, shared giggles that became the big memories of their childhood. troduces curious little creatures that love to visit children’s noses when they sneeze or sniffle. Rather than turning a runny nose into a scolding, she turns it into a story. The Snoggles, she explains, will only leave if you use tissues. Suddenly, a messy moment becomes an adventure. Parents who read this story aloud find themselves laughing with their children at the thought of these tiny, invisible creatures running away in search of clean noses. What could have been frustration turns into shared fun. This ability to find laughter in life’s simplest, even inconvenient moments is at the heart of Walls’s writing — and it’s what every parent can learn from. She isn’t telling readers to ignore responsibility or discipline, but to balance it with playfulness. Laughter helps children feel safe. It teaches them that mistakes aren’t disasters, and that love doesn’t disappear when things go wrong.
Psychologists often emphasize the importance of emotional bonding in early childhood. Laughter is one of the strongest bonds there is. When parents laugh with their children, they send a message: “You are loved for who you are.” This is especially powerful during moments of mischief or mess — when a child has spilled juice, dropped their toy, or tooted in public. By laughing gently instead of scolding harshly, parents create an environment where children can learn without fear. Walls’s stories embody this philosophy perfectly. Her writing flows from her own experiences as a mother. The book’s dedication tells the story of her daughter Meredith, who once pulled out her own baby teeth and wondered whether the Tooth Fairy could read. That simple, funny question sparked the idea for the book — proof that laughter and imagination are the seeds of creativity. In that moment, Walls didn’t correct or dismiss her daughter’s curiosity. She leaned into it. She laughed, she imagined, and eventually, she wrote. That’s what makes her stories so relatable. Every parent can recognize themselves in those moments — when a child says something unexpected or funny, and you have a choice to either move on quickly or stop, smile, and join in the laughter. Walls reminds us to choose laughter.
Reading stories like these at bedtime can also transform a family’s rhythm. Instead of rushing through the routine, parents can use it as a time to connect. A bedtime giggle over Snoggles or fairies is not just a moment of amusement; it’s a shared ritual of love. It tells children that their parents are not only protectors but also playmates — people who see the magic in life just as they do. Beyond the bedtime stories, Walls’s message reaches deeper. She reminds parents that laughter has healing power. It lightens moods, eases stress, and creates emotional safety. Children who grow up in laughter-filled homes tend to communicate more openly and develop stronger self-esteem. They learn to find humor in their mistakes and comfort in connection.
