TOOLS RULE! by Aaron Meshon

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With TOOLS RULE, Aaron Meshon packs a one-two punch and adds a much needed book about a subject very popular with little listeners to the shelves. First off, every little kid loves tools and Meshon's book has a huge cast of them, big goofy eyes and all. Add to this a cheerful "we can build it" attitude and you definitely have a winner. On top of it all, Meshon's brightly colored, cartoonish illustrations make TOOLS RULE a visual feast kids will want to pore over again and again.

A busy day for the tools begins with getting organized, T-Square calling role. Meshon manages to slip in tons of puns that will give the adults reading TOOLS RULE a good laugh, while the various expressions of the cast of tools will give listeners a smile.

 

It takes a bit of effort to get all the tools on board, but once they decide to build a shed around the workbench (he's to heavy to move) the action and the noise really take off.








Sometimes the anthropomorphizing of tools gets a little weird, like when the Level inspects the shed, saying, "Guggle! Guggle!" and the glue goes, "Glip! Glap! Glop!" but really, these sounds make the book even more fun to read out loud. And the red arrows that diagram the action help kids keep track of everything. I can't wait to see what bursts forth from the imaginarion of Aaron Meshon next!



While Meshon's illustrations in TOOLS RULE call to mind the animated show Adventure Time, I was surprised to learn that he has designed many familiar products for the fantastic kid's toy, game andother great stuff company, Crocodile Creek. Here are a few of Meshon's wonderful designs:






Source: Review Copy

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