I Love Tools! [Hardcover]

Philemon Sturges (Author), Shari Halpern (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 23, 2006 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Tools can cut things apart . . .

. . . or put them back together again.

You can use tools to make almost anything!

From the clamps that hold down the wood for the very first cut through the paintbrush that adds the finishing touches, this book is full of useful tools! Young readers will love watching a busy family saw, hammer, and chisel as they work together to create a new home for their friend the bluebird.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–Large, flat representations of basic hand tools are introduced as a family makes a birdhouse. The colorful, cheerful art and simple text lay out the steps in the process. The rhyming text works well, using the names of the tools and what they do, and the senses are evoked in references to the smell of the sawdust and the noise of the hammering. However, the last part of the rhyme, Place you'll ever build a nest! is set off by itself on a separate spread and seems awkward. Still, fans of Sturges's I Love Trains! (2001) or I Love Trucks! (1999, both HarperCollins) will enjoy this title, too.–JoAnn Jonas, Chula Vista Public Library, San Diego, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Joining Sturges and Halpern's five previous books celebrating things children adore, this one banks on the allure of a parent's toolbox. In a simple, rhyming text, a child describes the tools used in a family's carpentry project, such as a hammer, which "pounds a nail, and then--Oops! It pulls it out again." Halpern's thickly outlined pictures in clean, flat colors provide close-up images of the tools and the project (which children will eventually recognize as a birdhouse), and subtly indicate that it's the parents, not the children, who perform dangerous tasks with the saw and the drill. Information-rich endpapers extend the text with trivia that will most engage older siblings and adults. Tools don't have quite the same kid cachet as the exciting vehicles featured in previous books in the series, but many young ones, especially those who have observed a parent busy at a workbench, will recognize the magic of watching (and helping) as a handmade creation takes shape. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060092874
• ISBN-13: 978-0060092870
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #599,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Philemon has had a strong appetite for books since he was a boy. He loves to read books and poetry aloud in his booming voice. The father of three grown daughters, Philemon enjoys visiting schools and writing for a young audience. "Everything is new to kids," says Philemon. "it is an honor to introduce them to things -- plus, it's fun!"

A former award-winning architect, Philemon now uses his vision to create books rather than buildings. Philemon had his first book published in 1995 and has published at least a book a year since then. He typically likes to work on two or three new story ideas at a time.

As a boy, Philemon spent many summers at his grandpa's house in Bristol, Rhode Island, where he fell in love with boats and the sea. After a four-year Navy stint in Japan, he moved back to Rhode Island. When he wasn't working on the development of downtown Providence, the waterfront of Newport, or the boat basin on Nantucket, he spent his time sailing, clamming, and riding the waves in his dory, the Dawn Treader. He even spent a year living on an old ferryboat moored in Providence Harbor.

Currently, Philemon splits his time between the city and the country. He can be found at home in the heart of Boston's South End (in a brownstone he redesigned) or out in the charming country town of Princeton, Massachusetts. He lives with his wife, Judy Sue, and his two dogs, Rufina and Giotto. Wherever he is, Philemon enjoys cooking and eating and spending time with friends. (Rufina and Giotto love his leftovers!)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MOMMIES CAN SWING A HAMMER TOO!!, September 21, 2007

By 

CHERYL ANN "'HANGS OUT' @ LIBRARY!" (SOUTH JERSEY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Love Tools! (Hardcover)

I LOVE IT THAT THE BOOK INCLUDES MOMMY AND THE WHOLE FAMILY WORKING ON THE PROJECT, NOT JUST DADDY! THE TWO CHILDREN I GAVE THE BOOK TO ENJOYED IT SO MUCH THAT THEY WANTED TO HEAR IT AGAIN AND AGAIN IMMEDIATELY!
THEY HAD FUN FINDING THE 'BIRD' IN EACH PICTURE AND THERE WAS SUFFICIENT SUSPENCE ABOUT WHAT THE FINAL PROJECT TURNED OUT TO BE!
THE INSIDES OF THE TWO COVERS SHOW MANY TOOLS FOR REVIEW, AND THE TOOLS' NAMES AND THEIR USE WERE ABSORBED BY MY FRIENDS 'LIKE SPONGES!'

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Toddlers or Beginning Readers, November 14, 2008

By 

Sherry North "Author, Because You Are My Baby" - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Love Tools! (Hardcover)

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

The bright illustrations and short text make this a good choice for any toddler who shows an interest in tools. Because there's a lot of repetition and so few words on each page, beginning readers might want to give it a try as well. At the beginning and end of the book, there are helpful descriptions of how each tool is used.

4.0 out of 5 stars I love Tools!, February 18, 2008

By 

Renee (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Love Tools! (Hardcover)

A wonderful book for the 'young' builder! My son is 20 months old, loves books and loves to build with his Grandpa and his Dad. The book is filled with all types of tools - beginning with the book flap! My son loves the book read over, and over. While it is not a board book, we have to be careful to not rip the paper pages...it is a great choice for a toddler and above. I would recommend!