Big Rig Rescue!

by Chris Gall

Chris Gall gives truck books a fresh set of wheels in a bright story of wreckers, tools, towing, and teamwork. When a semi-truck crashes in the snow, Big Orange is ready. With a crane, chains, a webbing strap, outriggers, and a winch, Orange will get the semi back on its wheels―and when the job is too tough to tackle alone, Big Blue is there to help. Together they get the semi free and upright. Now, Orange is ready to tow the semi back to the shop, but a storm is coming.?.?.?.?Good thing Blue is around to help when Orange hits ice! With lively storytelling and engaging artwork, acclaimed author-illustrator Chris Gall motors through a brave and stormy tale of big-rig gadgets and collaboration.

Genres: Picture Books, Trucks, Childrens, Transport

32 pages, Hardcover

Published January 5, 2021

About the author

Chris Gall has been drawing pictures for as long as he can remember. When he was caught doodling on his desk in second grade, his teacher suggested that he might become an artist some day, then made him clean all the desks in the classroom. In seventh grade, Chris won a Read Magazine Young Writers Award, and that inspired him to create stories to go with his art. After graduating from the University of Arizona, Chris became an award-winning, internationally recognized illustrator, and his artwork has been shown in almost every publication in America, including Time, Newsweek, People, Fortune, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

In 2004, his first picture book, America the Beautiful, became a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year, and his career in children’s publishing began. Since then he has authored and/or illustrated 16 more books, including the acclaimed Dinotrux, a 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Children’s book; Revenge of the Dinotrux; Awesome Dawson; Substitute Creacher; Dog Vs. Cat and The Littlest Train. For grownups, he also illustrated and designed the PDT Cocktail Book, the 2012 Best New Cocktail Book, awarded by Tales of the Cocktail.

Chris has also worked as an adjunct professor of art at the University of Arizona and spent four years as a professional stand-up comedian. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, where in his spare time he works as a volunteer for the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (Pima County Search and Rescue).

In August of 2015, after 5 years of development, Dreamworks Animation brought Dinotrux to Netflix as an animated television show for children.

Reviews

[Missie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big Rig Rescue was a cute book and had great potential, but there were a few areas I felt it fell short. The book brings up parts of the semi-truck, such as winch, boom, hook but did not describe them for the child. It would have easily been a great way to teach these parts quickly within the story. The book was also done before the story felt finished. I thought multiple times that I had missing pages or my download was not successful. Black Ice and then nothing. It just felt incomplete.

That being said, my son, age 4, loved the book. He enjoyed the images and the big trucks. He has requested to read it multiple times after the first reading.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - 5 years

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your son will definitely enjoy this book about a bunch of big ol' trucks.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about Big Rig Rescue! by Chris Gall is what my sons and I love from a book! Trucks, tools, more tools!, more trucks!, action, problem solving, realistic characters, helping, seeing different careers. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would! I read this aloud with my 3.5 and 1.5 yr old sons. Like toddlers are prone to doing, they wanted to read this over and over and over and over. And I didn't mind because I like it too!

Big Rig Rescue! opens up with a big rig diagram that already entranced the three of us. My 3 yr old lives for things like this. My boys love, LOVE vehicles! We looked and talked about all the different parts. The illustrations are realistic but beautiful and inspiring. The trucks look big and exciting! The people show emotions. The settings are great.

The story itself is wonderful. A truck has crashed in the snow! This gave us an opportunity to talk about snow (we don't get it where we live) and driving safely. The book details the different aspects of the crash such as checking on the driver, checking for leaks, etc. Different rescue trucks join in to complete the job. The writing is excellent! Lots of action verbs, naming tools, and clearly listed sequences of action.

Like the classic Little Blue Truck story, Big Rig Rescue! teaches teamwork, patience, procedure, and problem solving. It teaches that everyone has a job to do to get a task done, and that friends help each other.

This kind of story meets curious pre-readers where they are but doesn't talk down to them! My sons are so curious about how things work and the magic of engineering/technology even at their very, very young ages. This book is a great addition to our many, many vehicle books. It's unique while still containing everything they love about truck books.

Thank you W W Norton and Company and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! We're very excited to check out other books by this author.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roll up your sleeves, preschoolers. You're about to learn more about how the world works, the world of big rigs.

* You'll encounter rescuing, truck style.

* You'll meet wreckers, see towing, and behold big-deal teamwork.

When a semi-truck crashes in the snow, what do the grownups in this story do to help? They can't just hug the truck and say, "I love you."

Which tools are involved? And what do effective grownups do with those tools???

Big Rig Success!!!

Not only does this book meet a deep need in many preschoolers. They learn facts, see images that tell the story. My favorite line from the text goes:

"Everybody has to pull at once.
Slowly! Up! Up! Up! Over!

Great roll, everyone."

Man oh man, I wish I'd grown up with an extra parent who could talk that way. Just reading this book and seeing the pictures makes me feel sooooooooo secure. FIVE STARS of gratitude.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Chris Gall gives truck books a fresh set of wheels in a bright story of wreckers, tools, towing, and teamwork. "

A huge semi-truck crashes on a snowy highway and Big Orange is off to the rescue! His mission? To get that semi back up on its wheels and running smoothly back on the road. Orange soon discovers that more help is needed so Big Blue appears to answer the distress call. Working together the two have great success. On the way back to the shop Big Orange is taken out by a patch of black ice. Will friend Blue be there to save the day?

This book will be an immediate hit with kids ( and adults) ! Who isn't in awe of these magnificent monster machines? The author does a splendid job of the storytelling, the engaging artwork, and the educative facts concerning these semi-trucks. I love the book and I declare it to be a winner.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you know what a snatch block is? I didn't - but I do now! If you have a little that loves trucks grab a copy of this book! You can check it out at your library but if your little one REALLY loves trucks? Buy a copy. Chris Gall names many of the different parts found on a tow truck that is sent out to rescue an overturned eighteen wheeler. Plus - there's a diagram that shows what all the parts are and where you would find them on the truck. I think this book would work as a read-aloud and would inspire some creative play with toy trucks and cars. I also really liked that a woman truck driver was included in the book!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for young kids that are in that big-truck obsessed stage. The rescue is very adventurous, and it is explained exactly how to rescue the truck. I also loved the inclusion of a female truck driver- very common in real life, but not in children's books. My favorote part of the story is the fact that the pages leading up to the official start of the story had illustrations that were actually a prequel without the use of words to the story. The twist at the end was also exciting!

[Jessica Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 3yo loves trucks, and this book appealed to him because he loves learning the features of trucks. Not only did this book use the narrative of the story to explain the parts used in the rescue mission, but the back cover has an illustration with all of the parts labeled. As a parent, I liked how this book also emphasized teamwork and the importance of working together on a rescue mission because we never know when we may be the one who needs the help from a friend!

[Shim · Rating 4 out of 5]

My toddler loves this book.

The illustrations and the premise are great.

As others have commented, it could do with a bit more explanation, but it'd be hard to do that without making the book too wordy. I think curious people can easily look up the words presented in the book.

Though they could have put some arrows in or something so you at least know which parts they're talking about.

The ending is a tad anti-climactic, oh well.

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between the great illustrations and wonderful descriptions any kid who loves big machinery is going to love this picture book. An 18-wheeler has flipped over on the road and tow truck has to go save it. The book emphasizes being safe and accepting help. Great book.

Thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company, Norton Young Readers for the free digital book for my review.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had a love of books since I was young enough to read. Part of my job as a mother and now a grandmother, is to plant that love in the fertile brains of my children. BIG RIG RESCUE had my group of 4 year olds demanding it be read again and again. With 5 in the group, they all found different parts of the book to love. Well done, Chris Gall.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A semi truck has tipped over on a snowy mountain road and it takes two large tow trucks to rescue it. This is a picture book geared for young vehicle fans who appreciate the step-by-step details of real work. The text and illustrations are informative but easy to understand. Add this to units on working vehicles.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 2.5 year old is a truck fanatic and this book enthralled him! It was especially colorful and the trucks captivated him. He loved learning new parts of the trucks. I thought that it maybe could have had a more complete ending, but it was a great read nonetheless.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this is a great book for anyone that loves wheels. It explains in great detail how 2 tow trucks help to rescue a semi that has wrecked and is laying on its side. Great attention to detail, really colorful, and easy to understand. and the end page has a labeled tow truck.

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

Another truck book! The big illustrations and teamwork message make this more appealing than other recent titles.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for curious young people! Especially those fascinated by trucks and pulleys.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little truck lovers will enjoy all the detail in this semi truck rescue. Bright and colorful pictures clearly help explain the process. I'm not sure I like the ending, though...

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Orange and Big Blue come to a semi-trucks rescue.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure to be a hit with your pre-K truck fans.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Natalie Tate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very mediocre truck book.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a semi-truck crashes in the snow, Big Orange and Big Blue come to the rescue in this lively, engaging tale of big rigs at work.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very semantic, not a whole lot of readable charm, but for kids that like to know how things work it was nice.

[Y.Poston]

If you are looking to explore big trucks, this is a very colorful exploration of them!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for those kids who love the big rigs.

[Laura (Bookworm Extraordinaire)]

This was a fun library story time book because the kids were thrilled to point out all the trucks and equipment that they've seen around the city!

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do your kids love trucks? Yes, they will love it.

New terms you won’t find in little blue truck, and some real lift grit and hard work to help out another overturned trucker!