Nick Offerman learned as a child to work with his hands, to respect tools and to fix things in his hometown of Minooka, Illinois. “Sometimes, they’d let me nail a shingle,” he joked during his book reading last Saturday at the Berry Center. (Or maybe he wasn’t joking – but I suspect he was allowed tyo do more than just swing a hammer.)
In his latest book, “Little Woodchucks,” written with former Offerman Woodshop manager Lee Buchanan, he expounds on the ethos of make, don’t buy, and shows how entertaining it is to get in the shop and build toys that can then be used to irritate family members (a “slapstick” and wood whistle, for example). Or a wooden kite than you can then go fly. Or a meat locker in which to share sausages, cheese and/or cauliflower with neighbors (also useful as a Little Free Library)
“Little Woodchucks” helps parents set up a safe and kid-friendly shop, then presents 12 projects in increasing order of difficulty to help build skills as kids (and their adult helpers) make these fun creations.
As befits a book ostensibly for children, “Little Woodchucks” is filled with colorful images and easy-to-follow instructions. At the start of each project is an image of the tools and supplies needed for each – along with a joke or two that will delight kids and adults alike. That humor pervades the text as well, with Offerman’s throughline of wry anti-capitalism in support of “build, don’t buy,” and sustainability. As our copy editor, Kara Gebhart Uhl, noted, the book speaks to children, but it doesn’t talk down to them, making it enjoyable for the whole family.
And that family connection, that community fun, is among the overriding lessons of “Little Woodchucks.” Offerman writes in his introduction:
It’s like making a pie with your parents – that pie is going to be better and fresher than anything you could ever get at one of those chain restaurants. You and your folks are going to know every ingredient that went into that pie. If you’re lucky, you might know the chicken that laid the eggs and the other chickens that produced the butter, and if you do, I’d very much like to meet your dairy chickens. You might know the farmer who grew the grain that got turned into the flour. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Maybe you know another Woodchuck friend who grows the blueberries. That sounds like a wonderful community to me.
Sounds pretty good to me, too.
If you have kids in your life who could benefit from making sawdust and fun instead of staring at a screen, this book is for you. If you’re an adult who like to giggle, this book is for you. And if both apply, well, rush out now and pick up a copy.
“Little Woodchucks” by Nick Offerman with Lee Buchanan (Dutton), is available in bookstores now – likely including your local, independent bookstore.
– Fitz
Lovely review. Count me in.