Our Shed: A Father-Daughter Building Story

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.