LET'S FIX UP THE YARD

Little ones can learn about all the tools and machines involved in yard maintenance.

On each verso, one of these tools—such as a lawn mower, a hose, or a hedge trimmer—is pictured against a white background accompanied by the repeated “We’ll need” across the top and the caption labeling this object at bottom to complete the sentence. On the facing page, faceless, gender-indeterminate figures with either black or white circles for heads use said tool accompanied by a four- to five-word explanation. While Pizzo’s stylistic imagery is direct and graphically clean, it is a bit disorienting. It looks as if the figures are working on a specific project, but it is unclear where the leaves are coming from on the leaf-blower page, why holes need to be dug on the shovel spread, and where “concrete” is being poured to demonstrate the “cement mixer.” A companion title, Let’s Fix up the House, is equally disorienting, as there is no presentation of any start-to-finish project. Walls are demolished with a sledgehammer, tiles are laid, and lumber is sawed with little explanation. While one must admire a board book that includes a chainsaw, it ultimately disappointments with disjointed scenes and a lack of any overall framing.

Even toddler tool enthusiasts may find this a mess despite the graphic simplicity.