Big Rig
1 Hardcover/1 CD (see all formats)

Probably the only thing guaranteed to be more popular with a certain preschool demographic than giant-sized trucks is giant-sized trucks filled with dinosaurs. Add to that Play-Doh-bright colors, undulating across warped landscapes and weaving through wacky typography, and what more could you ask for? With a background of realistic sound effects (including air horns and “Jake Brakes”), Ganser energetically narrates this adventurous tale. He creates an oversize personality for Frankie, the bulbous-eyed talking truck; adds drama to the moment when a flat front tire necessitates an emergency pull-off; and concludes with a punchy rendition of the “Truck-tionary” (aka glossary). Embedded text (labels on cartons, passing billboards, restaurant signs, etc.) is rendered in echo-y background voices that may not always be easy for young readers to decipher. Jaunty country-style music comes and goes behind the text. — Kristi Elle Jemtegaard

"Narrator L.J. Ganser has as much fun with his narration as Frankie the eighteen-wheeler has when he takes listeners on an action-packed trip. From the opening invitation to "Come along!" to the over-the-top "URRRRNNNT-URRNNT! of the truck's horn, Ganser is full of the sounds and excitement of a trip on the open road. Neither rain--"Wipers, do your job!"--nor a flat tire with its exaggerate hisssssssssing nor the tedium of waiting for a service truck can keep this rig from moving ahead. A "truck-tionary" follows the adventure. Peppy music, background vocalizations, and road noise complete the production."