TOOLS RULE!

Are there any tots who don’t like to play with toy tools?

Most likely not, and this appealing and inventive story features animated tool characters, each with its own individual traits. T Square rounds up a crew of tools to clean up a messy yard and build a tool shed. T Square and Pencil draft plans; Wheelbarrow gathers materials; Saw saws Wood; Drill drills Screws; Level inspects; Glue glues on Roof Tiles, etc. Together, they work hard, and when the project is finished, they go to sleep in an organized toolshed feeling satisfied. The colored digital illustrations are imaginative (each tool has eyes, and some have legs), with sound effects offering opportunities for participation: “Brush brushes Paint. SWISH! SWASH! SLOP!” Mild puns add to the fun, as when T Square holds the flashlight to illuminate the darkened outbuilding and says, “Let me shed some light on things!” Diagrammatic arrows with large letters nail down the interchange among the tools and cleverly enforce the concept of working together. Meshon’s animated style in this story could easily be turned into a short film cartoon.

Buy it along with a wooden tool set as a gift for an enterprising young carpenter.