I Love Tools by Philemon Sturges (illustrated by Shari Halpern) is an easy to read picture book about a family using tools to build a birdhouse. The clear colorful pictures and simple text introduce tools and their specific functions. The rhyming text moves the story along as it teaches how the tools are used to start and finish a project from beginning to end. Without coming right out and talking about tool safety, the pictures emphasize the need for parents to be around while the tools are being used.This book is part of a series of books by Sturges and Halpern on things that children love.
What a delightful book for teaching young children not only about tools, but about cooperation and working together to complete a project. I have used other books in this series for toddler and preschool story times and found that they work very well. It could be combined with simple science projects about tools or birds. Also, it could be the basis for a family project to build a birdhouse for our feathered friends. What a great discussion starter for tool safety. While the family in the story may be a bit stereotypical for today’s world (both parents, a son and a daughter) it does emphasize the important theme, that adults need to surpervise the use of tools.
I would recommend this book for children ages 2-5.
Keywords associated with this book: tools, birdhouses, birds, wood, rulers, sandpaper hammers, saws, wood glue, chisel, square, drills, nails, paintbrushes, stencils, screwdrivers, cooperation.
No comments:
Post a Comment