Tools Rule! by Aaron Meshon

Tools Rule! by Aaron Meshon

Rating: 5 stars

Please don't tell him, but I got this book for Kiefer for his third birthday.  As of this blurry-eyed, early-morning typing, that's 19 days away.  I got it early so I could read it and tell you all about it.  I'll give it to him once I've dog-eared my favorite pages, underlined my favorite passages, and shared it with friends and strangers…  Ah, the joys of being a third child!

In Tools Rule! I was excited to see:

1. A book on tools!  They are hard to find.  In fact, I can only think of two others that I've found over the years: I Love Tools! by Philemon Sturges and Tools by Taro Miura.  It's as if no one else's child has walked around with a pint-sized version of a saw, driven his mama crazy by hammering nothing and everything, and dreamed of using his daddy's drill some day.  Seriously--more tool books, authors!
2. Another book by Aaron Meshon.  We loved his debut children's book Take Me Out to the Yakyu--it was informative and clever, simple and sweet.  We are busting it out again, not for baseball-obsessed Ben but for Lorelei, whose first grade class is studying Japan right now.

Tools Rule! is another adorably illustrated book where a bunch of scattered, messy tools organize themselves to come together to build a shed in order to, well, organize themselves.  The story is mostly told through word bubbles; the tools talk to each other and to themselves and say what's going on or what needs to happen.  Throughout the book there is a little bit of traditional text that acts like an all-seeing narrator.  I do wish that there was more of it to provide a little more structure as the tools, well, build their structure.

But Kiefer will neither notice nor care about a detail like that.  And who is this book for, anyway?  He'll see the big tools jump out on the pages and chuckle as the ruler wakes up his tool friends and spurs them to action.  He'll see the tools using teamwork to build a shed and then cheer at the finished product.

And Meshon thoughtfully gave me, the reader-parent, plenty of opportunities to chuckle as well: He makes puns with the tool names throughout the book.  "Saw?  Saw?  Where is Saw?  I just saw him!" or Clamp saying, "My advice? Let's get a grip on things." or when Hammer tells Nail that he's needed to build a wall and, as Hammer hammers, Nail says, "OK!  Ouch!  OK! OK! Ouch! OK! Ouch!"  Just makes me smile.  I appreciate that, but it also makes this book interesting for an advanced reader like Lorelei, who is ready to seek and find silly play-on-words like Meshon throws in.

At the end, when the toolshed is finished and each  tool is nestled in their own cubby or hook, spot or nook, they say good night to each other.  And then they snore in their own unique ways: "Pourzzz" for Pail, "Bangzzz, bangzzz" for Hammer, "Drillzzzz" for Drill…  See? Doesn't that make you smile, too?

A very cute book with very tough and witty characters! I look forward to reading it twice a day for 30 days straight!


P.S.  I have to include my non-tool-toting but oh-so-funny dad's comments to me after he read this:

I believe that Meshon actually is a ghost writer for Home Depot and Lowes, a covert plot to convince people that tools, and therefore projects that cost money and take up too much time, are cool. 

I have no evidence yet for my belief.  I'm working on it.

Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty

Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts

Rating: 5 stars

During the first week of Lorelei's first grade, her teacher asked each student to bring in his or her favorite book to share with the class.  That simple little assignment was like a parenting test for me.  I really wanted to intervene, to suggest some of the fantastic titles we've read and loved here.

I wanted to place one of the Little House books in front of her, so she could share with her class that we read them together each night during her Kindergarten year (and so that I could earn a gold star vicariously for my own reading of the books).

I wanted to place Loren Long's Drummer Boy in front of her, a holiday book rich with emotion and lessons, so she could share with her class the creative result of a song turned into a book (and so that I could earn a gold star vicariously for finding good books off the beaten path).

I wanted to place Lane Smith's John, Paul, George, and Ben in front of her, a unique book telling the story of five (Thomas is in there, too) of our founding fathers, so she could share with her class her knowledge of history (and so that I could earn a gold star vicariously for providing educational books to  toddlers).

Thankfully, I passed the parental test. I resisted the urge to intervene and involve my ego in her homework.

She brought in one book from the Rainbow Magic fairy series, a harmless, light chapter book series for young girls that involves a whole lot of sparkles and fairies and stuff.  (Blech.)

But another girl in her class brought in Iggy Peck, Architect!  And Lorelei was so impressed with it she asked me if we could order it from the library.  ($50 says that no one went home and asked their mother if they could check out the fairy series...)

This clever, rhyming book by Andrea Beaty (author of the Ted series...this is SO MUCH better than those) with fantastically quirky illustrations by David Roberts is about a little boy who just cannot contain his passion for building.  His first masterpiece was

and out on the porch built the St Louis arch
from pancakes and coconut pie

when he built a great tower--in only an hour--
with nothing but diapers and glue.
"Good gracious, Ignacious!" his mother exclaimed.
"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen!"
But her smile faded fast as a light wind blew past
and she realized those diapers weren't clean!

There's just the right amount of humor for kids, to keep them laughing and turning the page.  Iggy builds with clay, fruit, pancakes...anything, really.  Until, that is, he gets to second grade, where he meets Miss Lila Greer who doesn't appreciate architecture and tells him to stop.

Until, that is, she takes the class on a field trip to a little island in the park and young Iggy saves the day by rebuilding the footbridge that collapsed as they crossed over the island.  (He starts the suspension bridge with her shoe, and somehow it involves someone's underwear...ha!) Miss Greer jumps from her place as dream-crusher to dream-supporter as she walks to safety.

This is a great book packed with little nuggets of goodness (support your kids' dreams, you parents and teachers! provide creative outlets for them! let them choose their own books, even if silly fairies are involved! oh wait not that one...), and we hope that our library gets Andrea Beaty's newest book, Rosie Revere, Engineer, really soon!

Very Tricky, Alfie Atkins by Gunilla Bergstrom

Very Tricky, Alfie Atkins by Gunilla Bergstrom

Rating: 4 stars

I like this Alfie Atkins character.  He wants his father to play with him, but his father is busy reading the paper.  Seizing the opportunity of a distracted parent, his request to play with his father's tool box is granted. But not the saw!  That's dangerous.  So Alfie builds (with the other not-so-dangerous tools) a box around himself, and pretends he can't get out.

He tells his father: hand me the saw and I can get myself out, or come rescue me.  His father MUST now put down his paper and play with him, much to his son's delight.


I don't know how this book ended up in our library bag--the beloved Grammy was along for the pre-vacation library trip (we checked out 47 books), but it definitely strikes a chord in me.  Years ago, I added yet another very random, unhelpful in any career whatsoever, totally paid nothing job.  And had a blast.  I was the head wrangler at a summer camp in Nowheresville, Washington.  I was in charge of a dozen horses, one other person (a gal who showed up in heels from Australia) and the whole little riding program, which didn't account to much.


On the first day of camp after they jumped from their parents still-moving vehicles onto the campgrounds and had their heads checked for lice, the kids were thrown into different groups to play together before they settled in for dinner.  My job was always to play soccer with about half of the kids.  Together with a Peter Pan-like guy from Australia who is probably still immature in a super endearing way, we played with the kids.


That's it.  We just played with them.  We were in charge, sure, but...hardly.  It was such a lesson for me--put things aside, and just join in.  It was a great way to start the week, and I definitely apply that invaluable lesson everyday here at my home.  Just today Ben walked in to the kitchen while I was fixing Kiefer's lunch and asked: "Will you be a firefighter with me, Mommy?"


You betcha!

Suddenly the steam from the chicken was a fire, and we pretended that some random spatula was a hose and we were putting the fire out.  When that was no longer exciting, I asked him to teach me what to do if I was on fire, and they thought it was pretty funny watching me stop, drop, and roll.

Really I was just stop, dropping, and playing, of course.

But the book talks about fathers playing with their kids, and that's a whole other thing.  My husband is so tired and exhausted and stressed that when the kids do finally convince him to play they are beyond delighted.  It's what their faces would look like if we ever were nice enough to take them to Disneyworld.  It's sad for me to watch, because they are so fun and his intentions I think are good, but...  Pretty soon they'll be more into their friends than me and him, so, I'll be stop, dropping, and playing as much as I can in the next few years.  And forcing others around me to do the same!

All that other stuff can wait.

Creaky Old House by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Michael Chesworth

Creaky Old House: A Topsy-Turvy Tale of a Real Fixer-Upper by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Michael Chesworth

Rating: 5 stars

I'm a make-it-work girl married to a make-it-better guy; a little tension between those two approaches sometimes...just sometimes!...exists.  I'm happy to say that in this book, my way wins out.  Hooray!

I'd heard that Creaky Old House had a good, rollicking rhyme and it was about fixing up a home--something that happens all the time in our wonderful sorta-old home.  (It's hard to say that a house built in the '80s is old.)  There is always a project going on in our house--sometimes it's just a massive reorganizing effort, but often it's a renovation project that will take months to plan, and then months to occur.  Progress is good, I know, but when the status quo is mighty fine, it's hard to buy into progress.

But, as I type, Kiefer is walking around with a drill, "fixing things."  It's a toy drill, in case you're concerned about my wisdom in handing out real drills to a toddler.

Perhaps we have hoarders here?

In this VERY fun book, nine people live in an actual old home that has creaky stairs and quirky problems, a nook or cranny for everyone, and one problematic doorknob.  When that doorknob breaks and a new doorknob that fits can't be found, they look to replace the door.  But there is no door that fits perfectly.  So they'll have to adjust the door frame...and then move the chair...and then relocate the staircase...  As you probably guessed, the house-dwellers erupt with ideas and suggestions and pretty soon a brand-spankin'-new house is designed, complete with a roller coaster (my kids would love that!).

But just as the new house design is complete (it only took a few pages...not so realistic if you've ever been through that process!), they realize the youngest kiddo is missing.  Uh-oh!  Oh, wait.  She's just on the porch.  And looky there!  Lizzie has a triumphant look on her face.  She's gone and fixed the doorknob.  With her pacifier.

My kind of girl!  Although I'd have used duct tape.

I Love Tools! by Philemon Sturges

I Love Tools! by Philemon Sturges, illustrated by Shari Halpern

Rating: 4 stars

Like I said, we can't stop reading these books!  They are each very simple but fun and a wonderful introduction to basic but important concepts.  Like tools.  I found myself really excited, in a super dorky way, about reading what little snippets Sturges found on each tool on the front and back cover/jackets (is there a right word for this?!) of the book.  He didn't disappoint!

Here are some of his random factoids:

 - The earliest rulers were based on the length of people's feet, hands, or fingers.
 - Because a hammer has so many uses, including making other tools, it is sometimes called the "king of tools."  (Is there a queen of tools?  I'm going to guess not.)
 - If you live in a typical American home, your house was probably built using around 200 pounds of nails!

The book introduces tools as a family of four (including both a son and daughter) build a bird house together, making this book a fantastic one as a springing board for such a project at home.  Lorelei will be ready to do this sort of project in the Spring, which means Ben will be, too.