Blog Archives
Deep Emotional Lessons
The Very Angry Toolbox follows a little boy who discovers a lonely toolbox in an industrial mart and learns about kindness and second chances when he sees past its gruff exterior. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Working in a store, repairing overhead intake/extract fans over a period of time, hearing people talking and saying unwelcoming things about earning money the wrong way, I came across a toolbox on a dusty shelf all alone. And just started talking to it like you do, and over a short while, I found a story in my head. That evening, I went home and wrote about my meeting in the store. Some years later, when I sold my business, I decided to write it into a story. Then I thought, maybe there are children out there who might like this story, and decided to self-publish the book.
The toolbox is one of the most memorable characters in the book. How did you create his personality?
The story came about due to the meeting in the store, and adding the tools was because the angry toolbox was not really nasty and wanted to help others.
What was the most fun part of bringing the tools to life as characters?
The most fun part about the tools was that they gave their own identity and purpose within the toolbox, allowing children to understand what each tool can do
If young readers remember only one thing from The Very Angry Toolbox, what would you most hope they take away about kindness, anger, and the power of giving someone a chance to become their best self?
What I would like for young readers to take from the book is its mix of rich narrative, deep emotional lessons, positive core values, and captivating visuals.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
The Very Angry Toolbox is a delightful story that is a must-have for all children’s bookshelves. This is the perfect book for discussing feelings and emotions and considering the impact that our feelings have on others.
The Very Angry Toolbox
The Very Angry Toolbox follows Leroy, a thoughtful eight-year-old who longs for a toolbox of his own so he can be like his hardworking dad and care for the special tools passed down by his grandfather. When Leroy discovers a lonely grey toolbox in an industrial mart, he sees past its shouting and grumpiness to the fear and sadness underneath. What begins as a story about anger slowly opens into one about kindness, second chances, teamwork, and the quiet pride of doing useful work well.
I found the heart of this book genuinely tender. I appreciated that Leroy isn’t written as perfect or overly saintly. He’s excited, unsure, disappointed, and even a little wary when the angry toolbox becomes his only real option. That hesitation made his compassion feel earned rather than automatic. The book has a lovely idea at its center: anger often comes from loneliness, fear, and feeling unwanted. I liked that the toolbox doesn’t magically become wonderful in one page. He has to practice being different. That’s a message children can actually understand, especially the children who feel big emotions before they know what to do with them.
The writing is earnest and full of detail, more chapter-book than picture book, with a steady, old-fashioned storytelling rhythm. I enjoyed the family warmth around Leroy, his dad, and his grandad, particularly the way tools become tied to memory, responsibility, and pride in craftsmanship. The later scenes with the international tools are playful and imaginative, though the book does ask young readers to sit with quite a lot of explanation. The artwork by Gemma Stanley gives the story a lot of charm. The toolbox’s expressive face, the bright character designs, and the little personalities given to the tools help soften the heavier moral moments. I especially liked how the illustrations make machinery feel friendly without losing the rough, workshop feeling of shelves, dust, screws, and old wood.
The Very Angry Toolbox is a sincere and quirky children’s book with a big emotional engine and a clear respect for patience, effort, and repair, both the practical kind and the personal kind. I’d recommend it for children who enjoy talking objects, tools, building, and hands-on work, and especially for families looking for a story that opens a gentle conversation about anger, kindness, and giving someone a chance to change.
Pages: 47 | ASIN : B09K4W67RN
