Stanley's Toolbox

A tree branch has fallen onto the roof of Little Woo’s treehouse, and now he needs a repair. Fortunately, his friend Stanley is just the hamster for the job. But before the treehouse can be fixed, they need a new ladder. Not only does Stanley fix the roof, but when he’s finished, he realizes the floor of Little Woo’s tree house needs smoothing. Work leads to more work—and most importantly, more tools—in this toolbox primer. At times Stanley seems to take over more than lend a hand, but in all fairness, he’s the expert. And when Stanley needs a new tool, Little Woo gets to pass it to him. A highlight is that the name of each tool is bolded, making it easier to point out and teach young readers the names of tools. Stanley is a familiar series from Bee, and in this title, like others, the illustration style does not rise much above a clip-art feel, their simplicity matches the simplicity of the story., While it may be a hit for any tool-lovers toolbox of reading material, it lacks the x-factor needed to elevate it from elementary to excellent.