Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A father with pale skin and brown hair teaches his creative, tan-skinned daughter woodworking skills as the duo builds a shed in their backyard over the course of three days. Through a first-person perspective and simple, straightforward prose, Broder follows the project, including steps such as checking boards for warping and how to guide and use a saw. Imaginative interludes charm while hammering home the narrator's youth and the duo's close relationship: "The daddy-dragon roars as if he's breathing fire... After defeating the beast, I hand Dad the nails when he asks for them. I check the boards with the level to make sure everything is straight." O'Neill adds dynamic dot-eyed humans in a gentle color palette that features a recurring pink dragon motif. Late-narrative time lapses feel slightly jarring, but this sweet parent-child story effectively celebrates hands-on intergenerational collaboration. Ages 5--7. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--4--While there are a plethora of books introducing tools and building to the young reader, there are few where the plot revolves around a father-daughter DIY combo. The warmth of their relationship makes this book worth reading. Dad decides they need a storage shed so he and his daughter begin by drawing plans. His includes measurements and materials while hers includes a dragon. The materials are clear both in the drawings and the text and the realistic steps to bringing the shed to life are just what any builder would use. Throughout, facts and imagination come together to finish the project and the dragon appears in the ultimate painting of the shed. There is a shift, however, from the present to the future; the art depicting the aging of the characters and shed make it work. Father and daughter concur that the shed looks a little crooked, despite all their attempts at leveling, but that crooked is OK. VERDICT For libraries looking for a warm story of a father-daughter team working on a building project together, this is a good choice.--Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A father and daughter build a backyard shed--and their relationship. Every step of the way, the father is teaching, guiding, and relating to his daughter in ways that affirm her desire to learn, to play, and to spend time with him. He explains why they need a shed; teaches her how to choose materials; shares a milkshake (with two straws); joins her in a dance on her own private dance floor. After measuring twice and cutting once, the two frame the walls and then take a break so she can battle "the nastiest dragon in the land" (depicted as a white chalk outline and described as "daddy-dragon" in the narration). In three days, the shed is ready to paint; she can't choose just one color, so they get two…and father's and daughter's shed plans delightfully merge. Over four pages, the duo grab various tools from the shed to fuel their fun as they visually age and the seasons turn, the final of the four showing a new addition: the daughter's son, who makes his own mark on the shed. O'Neill's illustrations keep the focus on the pair and the work they do both building and bonding, the imaginative scenes just as colorful as reality but with the addition of white chalk--outlined figures. Dad has light skin and brown hair; his daughter has darker skin and short, straight black hair. Pair this with Hammer and Nails by Josh Bledsoe and illustrated by Jessica Warrick (2016). This dad is a welcome role model for father figures everywhere. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
