Eddie's Toolbox and How to Make and Mend Things

Eddie

by Sarah Garland (Illustrator)

When new neighbours move in next door, Eddie is disappointed that there is a new friend for his sister but not for him. But then Tom needs help putting up shelves in the kitchen and asks Eddie to help him as his little girl and Eddie's sister explore the garden together. Soon Eddie is learning to use a saw and hammer and is screwing in hooks to hang cups. Eddie's sister hates bathtime, so Eddie uses some leftover wood to make her a boat to play with in the bath. Next day, as the two families share a picnic lunch in the garden, a cat attacks a sparrow trying to eat the crumbs from the table. So Eddie and Tom decide to build a bird table for the sparrows to eat in safety. Soon Eddie is making and mending all sorts of things around the house. This delightful story about two families becoming friends as seen through Eddie's eyes also includes practical instructions to make some of the things Eddie learns to make. A delightful companion to Eddie's Kitchen and Eddie's Garden , this book will appeal to all children fascinated by tools and making things, and to fans of 'Bob the Builder'.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

There is more than one author with this name.

Sarah Garland has written and illustrated over forty picture books and adventure stories for young children. She is best known for her warm and witty portrayals of family relationships, and for her outstanding work for preschool picture books.

She lives in the beautiful village of Chedworth in the Cotswolds with
her husband, artist David Garland.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely book, great quality, i love sarah garland the kids really respond well and the books are gender equal which i find refreshing, also not cut and dry for example the parents are single but it shows positive lives and happy kids being loved and co operating. a lovely example.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie, his mum and his sister Lily are pleased to welcome Tom and his daughter to the house next door. Tilly is Lily's age, but there is no child Eddie's age. But Eddie strikes up a friendship with Tom and begins to learn how to use tools from him and how to make things from the scraps of the projects he does with Tom. Soon the whole group is making a bird table for the backyard. Tom and Mum present Eddie with his own toolbox and their first project is a gate between their houses.

Adults reading this will quickly realize that Mum and Tom are both single parents and that perhaps a relationship is among the things being built here. But kids will just enjoy the story and wonder what Eddie is going to built next with that new toolbox. There is a nice section at the end of the book with advice on how to introduce children to the use of tools, complete with safety tips, and another on how to make and maintain a bird feeding table. This book is apparently the third in a series and I am now going to check for "Eddie's Garden" and "Eddie's Kitchen". If they're as nice as this one they are going on order for the picture book section.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really lovely book. The writing is lovely, the characters are lovely and the story is engaging and well paced. Did I mention lovely?

The theme of Eddie learning to make and mend things is a great, age-appropriate one and at the back of the book are descriptions of tools Eddie uses, along with suggested ways to introduce them to a child and some projects just like Eddie's.

My son is really enjoying this book, and identifies very strongly with Eddie, in particular with Eddie's desire to make and mend things to be helpful to his Mum and sister.

Parental warning: the book does deal very matter-of-factly and sensitively with the death of a sparrow. While I considered this totally appropriate for my five year old, and in fact an excellent jumping off point for further discussion, parental discretion may be required in certain circumstances.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie's disappointed because the new neighbors don't have a child his age, but they have something even better--the single dad needs a helper for his home-improvement projects and is eager to teach Eddie how to get things done.

What I especially liked about this was the unspoken fact that Eddie's got a single mom, and the new neighbor is on his own, too. Observant kids may notice a glance between the two grownups, and they all decide to put a gate in the fence between their gardens. Or it may go over thier heads, but their aren't enough stories about single parents that are just being parents out there .

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book! I like the story line Eddie's neighbors moved in and there was no one for him to hang out with, but the neighbor Tom helped him build all these things for the new house! Eventually Eddie got a toolbox of his own, and he fixed and built things all day long!

[Sarah Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good role modelling in this series; welcoming new neighbours, looking after younger sisters. I love that Eddie is useful, helpful, skilful, capable. Inspires us to get our own tool box and reminds me how capable and resourceful our kids are.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly structured story for young children, although some caregivers may baulk at the sparrow being eaten by the cat (not me. I also think children should be told where meat comes from).

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3* art
3* story

A great book for a kid like Squirt who loves tools and someone to work together with.