When Grandpa Gives You a Toolbox

by Jamie L.B. Deenihan, Lorraine Rocha (Illustrator)

In this delightful story, by the same author who wrote When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree, a boy is disappointed with his grandfather’s gift—until he learns he can use it to build exactly what he wanted with his own two hands, and a little help from grandpa, of course!

You asked for a special house for your dolls; but instead Grandpa gives you a toolbox! What do you do? Launching it into outer space is a bad idea. So is feeding it to a T. rex! Instead, be patient, pay attention, and you might find that you’re pretty handy. And just maybe, with grandpa’s help, you’ll get that dollhouse after all. This clever story celebrates kindness, hard work, and community, as well as variety in gender expression: the male main character proudly engages in activities that might be considered typically girl (playing with dolls) and typically boy (building with tools).

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Construction, Storytime, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 31, 2020

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this one. It’s the type of picture book where the illustrations tell a story in addition to the words, and there are lots of hidden gems if you look carefully at the illustrations. My oldest daughter and I both love looking for those, which makes our delight in these types of books greater. (Bonus: We got When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree out from the library after loving this one, and were delighted to notice crossover illustrations/characters/settings between the two books. I wish all picture books could have these types of illustrations!)

Even sweeter is reading it instantly made my girls think of their Grandpa and they couldn’t wait to have him read it to them the next time they saw him. It also had them dreaming of what they could build with their toy toolbox and led to a lot of imaginary play, which is always a good thing. It also has them dreaming of asking for a REAL toolbox for their birthdays. Too adorable.

[Nafise Beheshti · Rating 5 out of 5]

میشه گفت کتاب پسرونه‌ی "وقتی مادربزرگ به تو نهال لیمو می‌دهد" هست. همون جذابیت رو داره. ترجمه و تصویرگری‌ هم خیلی خوب بود.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's grandpa's turn from Deenihan. The young boy wants a doll house but instead Grandpa gives him a toolbox. He learns a valuable lesson about building things for others and then for himself.
Emphasis on pride in accomplishment and learning new skills.
Lovely detailed illustrations.

[Zahra tavakoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

درباره پسربچه ای که دوست دارد برای تولدش خانه عروسک هدیه بگیرد ولی پدربزرگ به او جعبه ابزار هدیه می دهد که اول برایش ناخوشایند است ولی کم کم لذت ساختن را می چشد و علاوه بر تعمیر وسایل همسایه ها و کسب درآمد، خودش برای خودش خانه عروسک می سازد مصداق بارز " به جای دادن ماهی به او ماهیگیری یاد بده"

[معصومه توکلی · Rating 4 out of 5]

به خصوص یافتن و دیدن عناصری از آن کتاب دیگر (وقتی مادربزرگ به تو...) توی تصاویر این یکی کتاب جذاب بود.
دم نویسنده و تصویرگر گرم.

[Bridget Neace · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I didn't like this one *quite* as much as "When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree" (it was more of a 3-3.5 star rating for me, still a good story, though, I just liked the first one better), but my daughter really liked this one, so I gave it an extra star for her. :) I plan on adding it to my school library collection (I've already got a couple copies of "Lemon Tree). :)

[میم صالحی فر · Rating 4 out of 5]

پسرک این قصه دوست داره یه خونه اسباب بازی از اونا که تلویزیون تبلیغ میکنه هدیه تولد بگیره، اما پدربزرگش به اون یه جعبه ابزار هدیه میده.
در وهله اول تلاش ميکنه تا از دست جعبه ابزار خلاص بشه، اما بعدتر در کنار پدربزرگ، مهارت استفاده از جعبه ابزار رو یاد میگیره ، به بقیه کمک میکنه، درامد زایی میرسه و حتی آرزوش رو هم محقق میکنه.


https://taaghche.com/book/144736

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

this one has a special place in my heart. my father is a carpenter and I can just see him giving his grandchildren a toolbox one day, like first he gave to me <3

*commence tears*

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice follow up to When Grandma Gives you a Lemon Tree. An unnamed boy who wants a doll house for his birthday gets a rather disappointing tool box. But the tool box ends up leading to special times building things with his grandpa, and allows the boy to meet his neighbors. Eventually his grandfather and his neighbors all help him build his special doll house.

In addition to the gorgeous illustrations, and the themes of community partnership and working together, I really loved the gentle way this book pushed back at some gendered roles. An enjoyable read.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story about getting a gift you don't want. Subtly pushes against gender stereotypes and shows that building stuff and playing with a dollhouse are not unrelated and can be a great combination. Lovely that the grandpa was on board with making a dollhouse and it wasn't a big deal with him or the friends that the kid liked dolls more than tools. Really happy this book exists. Great for children of all genders.

[Carrie Finison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this sweet, intergenerational story. When Grandpa brings a toolbox instead of the dollhouse his grandson wanted, it takes a little effort for the grandson to hide his disappointment, and patience as Grandpa goes through every single tool. But eventually, the grandson comes around to Grandpa's way of thinking as he discovers how useful the toolbox can be in a heartwarming finish.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute--I think I like the Lemon Tree one's format a touch more, though the bright illustrations and story theme are very similar.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

What do you do if you really, really want Grandpa to give you a house for your dolls for your birthday and instead your gift is a tool box? Well you politely listen to Grandpa’s detailed explanations of how each tool works, and his stories of everything he’s built since he was your age, and then hide the tool box and forget it. That is until a forlorn bird is looking for a new house and you suddenly realize just maybe you can help (along with a project manager’s help, a manager who looks a lot like Grandpa) and you become the neighborhood fixit man.

This story will open a whole new world to your little ones about what they can create without electronics. It was fun to watch the story unfold and see what can result from an unexpected and open ended gift. I loved the gentle lessons about how to receive a less than perfect gift politely and kindly. I also loved seeing the grandparents' support and enthusiasm as they led their grandchildren to the discovery of the wonders of their gifts.

The delightful and colorful illustrations enhance the story and are quite simply joyful. I came away feeling like a ray of sunshine was shining down on me.

This book make great gift for Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, birthdays and holidays, or just because you’re looking for a happy story you can share over and over.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great voice and fun inevitable ending to this story about a boy and his grandpa. I dithered between three and four stars because, while the plot was true, it did make the child seem a bit too unlikeable. We often get something we don't really want as a gift. The author explores the concept of learning to like something you might not normally have tried, but if SPOILER ALERT if in the end we find out we do like it to gain our own ends, then it's not really teaching us to love the giver—just teaching us to love the gift. I get where the author was going, but I'm not sure it ended up there. Also, while I'm sure the illustrator meant the book to teach inclusivity, the grandpa's depiction and especially expressions made him seem less likable. I couldn't tell if he was growing as a character or if he knew something the child didn't know all along. It was an important story point which could only be carried in the illustrations and din't come through. I wanted to like it much more than I did. It does have great voice.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful, humorous book is sure to be a hit with children. The narrator, portrayed by the illustrator as a boy, wants a dollhouse. His grandfather gives him a toolbox instead. After explaining to the reader what to do and NOT do with such a gift, the narrator puts the gift away. But when he sees a bird whose nest has fallen out of a tree, he remembers one of his grandfather's photographs of early projects boy-grandpa had built, and suddenly, the toolbox becomes a much better gift than the narrator expected! (Spoiler alert: if you think that the dollhouse shows up again, you are correct!)

I love that the child is portrayed as a boy, that the main characters are people of color, and that the story is so universal. A grandparent's role in helping a child become a contributing member of his community while learning a life-long skill is given depth and breadth here in an understated way. There is lots to love about this book, and I highly recommend it. School librarians, especially, will want to add this gem to their collections.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a lovely follow up from the author/illustrator team of "When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree". It is a story about getting a gift you don't want that subtly pushes against gender stereotypes. An unnamed boy really wants a dollhouse for his birthday but his grandpa brings him a toolbox instead. At first the boy is disappointed and imagines creative ways to get rid the toolbox. He soon finds however, that they toolbox comes in handy to help his neighbors and leads to special time together with his grandpa.
The detailed illustrations in this book tell a story in addition to the text. I would read this a second time with my class and talk about all of the hidden details in the illustrations. I love that in the illustration showing the boy proudly holding up their birdhouse, all of the failed attempts are on the counter in the background.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this delightful story, by the same author who wrote When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree, a boy is disappointed with his grandfather’s gift—until he learns he can use it to build exactly what he wanted with his own two hands, and a little help from grandpa, of course!

You asked for a special house for your dolls; but instead Grandpa gives you a toolbox! What do you do? Launching it into outer space is a bad idea. So is feeding it to a T. rex! Instead, be patient, pay attention, and you might find that you’re pretty handy. And just maybe, with grandpa’s help, you’ll get that dollhouse after all. This clever story celebrates kindness, hard work, and community, as well as variety in gender expression: the male main character proudly engages in activities that might be considered typically girl (playing with dolls) and typically boy (building with tools).

[Buku Arutala · Rating 4 out of 5]

When your grandfather gives you a gift that is unusual thing, you must be a little bit upset. It happened in this story, a boy was not happy when his grandfather gave him a toolbox. He didn't understand why his grandfather did it. He also was bored to listen to the old stories about his grandfather used that toolbox. He didn't know what to do with that toolbox, but he didn't really want to keep it. Until one day, he and his grandfather did a project together using the toolbox. After that, he got it why his grandfather gave it to him. With the toolbox, he could something useful to anyone in around him. He helped to fix broken tools of others and made them felt happy. After he succeeded to help everyone, he enjoyed to do it again and again.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young boy wants a doll house for his birthday, but instead gets a tool box.
At first he is upset (though he has good manners and thanks his grandpa). But then he sees a bird needing a bird house, and asks for his grandpa's help to build it. Which leads to other neighborhood projects and more teamwork. And eventually they work together to BUILD the dollhouse he originally wanted.

It seems like it's going to be a story of an older generation's intolerance, but it really isn't at all. The relationship between grandpa and grandson is very sweet.

[Jaedyn Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book teaches kids to be grateful for the gifts they are given, even if it's not really what they wanted, you never know when they could come in handy! In this book, the little boy wanted a dollhouse, but was given a toolbox instead. However, he eventually realized that he was actually a pretty good builder, and got to make his own dollhouse! I think this shares a really important message because many kids can get caught up on what they want and forget to be grateful for what they are given.

[Ellon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute! I think I liked When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree a little better but this was also really good. I love that the boy wants a dollhouse and nobody says that it’s a girl thing or anything like that. I love how when the grandpa and the boy make the first project, the illustration shows all the failed ones they tried first. I love that the boy uses his skills to help his community. Highly recommended

[Terry]

Love this book! The concepts are similar to When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree, but what makes this extra special is (a) the boy wants a house for his dolls, and (b) the boy and his family appear to be South Asian. Y-E-S! No gender stereotyping AND diversity. Keep reading to see more of why we love this book.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great one, which my nearly 4 year old really enjoyed. I mean, basically it's the "boy" version of if Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree, but it works well on it's own, it doesn't just feel like a rehash of that idea. Does some good work to lean into gender norms and the way in which a child who seems to ID as a boy can simultaneously not be interested in building, like playing with dolls, and at the same time learn that building stuff is fun. Definitely worth a read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series, but they also work as standalone books, so you don't need to read the previous book to appreciate this one. Using a lively second person voice, Deenihan shows kids how to be grateful and resourceful without preaching at them. I really like the unexpected twist of a little boy who hopes for a dollhouse. The back end pages have some details, too.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Gramps gives you a practical gift for your birthday instead of what you REALLY wanted, what can you do? Readers will be delighted to find out how something so not wanted is really pretty handy, and quite a lot of fun. Vibrant art complements the light-hearted text in a story that celebrates kindness and community.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a boy wants a dollhouse for his dolls, his grandpa gives him a toolbox. Perhaps he is thinking his grandson can build his own dollhouse, or perhaps it is to introduce the boy to becoming responsible with tools. Whatever the intention, the boy is disappointed but later - when he asks for help - he learns that he can do things he hadn't before thought of doing. Well illustrated.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't love it like I did the "Lemon Tree," but it's still a nice story. I wish the boy wasn't shown being so unappreciative at first. I don't remember the other book showing this in the young character. I'm glad he comes around and that the book celebrates the great relationship between the boy and his grandpa.

[Susan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a STEM human version of When You Give a Mouse A Cookie, and it ends up being a lot more satisfying. The protagonist is initially disappointed with the gift of a toolbox but ends up being resourceful enough to create his own fantasy gifts. WONDERFUL for your library shelves and for K-1 story time.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

All this kid wanted for his birthday was a doll house for his doll collection. However, when his grandpa gives him a toolbox, the kid decides to put it somewhere and forget about it. But when he sees that help is needed, he asks his grandpa for advice, and he realizes that the toolbox is quite useful in more ways than one. The toolbox becomes a useful and perfect gift.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a boy who wants a toolbox for his birthday to make a house for his dolls. Reminds me of a He-man castle my son wanted. And the narrator tells what the boy is thinking of doing with it. But Grandpa helps him build some things and helps others with it. In the end the boy appreciates the toolbox and what he can build himself for his toys.