Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2–In this pleasant rhyming book, a father and son are shown using the implements in their trusty toolboxes. Each verse describes two items and jobs they can do, with particular attention paid to the accompanying sounds: With hammers and nails,/they bang and tap…/steps that squeak,/stools that creak. Acrylic paintings in mostly primary colors show Dad and Vincent making repairs indoors and out. Large sans serif letters make the text easy to read, and the names of the featured implements are set in bold colors. The cozy pictures perfectly depict a father-son bonding experience, while giving a lesson on identifying common household tools. Taro Miura’s Tools (Chronicle, 2006) shows a larger variety of equipment, while this book has more of a story. Purchase it if you need more titles for budding fix-it guys or father-and-son stories.–Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
The toolbox twins, Vincent and his dad, work together around the house. Both have boxes stocked with the tools they will need for a variety of jobs. In a representative scene, Vincent sits on the kitchen counter, working on the wheel of his toy car with a little wrench. His father uses a wrench and pliers on the pipes beneath the sink: “With pliers and wrenches, / they turn and tighten . . . / pipes that drip, / bolts that slip.” Each turn of the page brings a new rhyme with either a double-page illustration or two pictures on facing pages showing the father and son at work. Colorful acrylic paintings illustrate the rhyming text in a simple, direct manner, focusing on the companionable pair and how each toolbox twin uses familiar household tools. This isn’t a tool-identification guide but rather a book celebrating the solid satisfaction of working with a parent and doing a useful job. The many preschoolers who are fascinated by tools will adore this. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
About the Author
Lola M. Schaefer is the author of many acclaimed books for young readers, including Arrowhawk. She lives in Garrett, Indiana.
Melissa Iwai is the illustrator of several children’s books, such as B Is for Bulldozer and Good Night Engines. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.
Melissa Iwai is the illustrator of several children’s books, such as B Is for Bulldozer and Good Night Engines. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.
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