(2) PS This adventure starts on the title-page spread, where an eighteen-wheeler drives on a winding road during a snowstorm. Turn the page, and--oh, no!--the ­massive semi "haulin' scrap" has slid off the road and onto its side. Not to worry: a friendly public works employee assures us that "Big Orange," a heavy-duty tow truck, is ready to help. Gall's (Dinotrux, rev. 9/09) text features the mechanical details young gearheads love: "We've got 14 wheels, a boom, a hook, and...Oh yes. A winch! Wait 'til you see how that works." The dynamic illustrations bring readers along for the ride, as our narrator-guide confidently explains each step of the rig rescue process ("Safety first. The driver is OK!"). Big Orange and its burly driver both stand out in the subdued wintry-gray scenes, drawing viewers' attention to the skills necessary to deal with the wreck. Key machines are printed in bold type (there's no glossary), and most are easy to pinpoint in the accompanying illustrations. Eventually, Big Orange heads back out on the slippery, icy roads with the cab in tow. Rubberneckers will appreciate witnessing this big-truck drama from a safe distance.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(3) K-3 In 1969, a young boy (who we later learn is the author) excitedly recounts each thrilling moment of the Apollo 11 mission. The main illustrations feature detailed schematics of the mission spacecraft, its astronauts, and their moon walk, while smaller insets show us the boy as he sends off his model rocket, plays in his capsule-themed tent, and watches the mission on television. Websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) PS A toy train falls off of a boy's train table and goes exploring in the world of real trains, eventually ending up in a toy store and being purchased by its original little boy owner. Young train enthusiasts will enjoy perusing the colorful, detailed illustrations, which feature both the real trains and their toy-store counterparts, adding extra depth to this sweet story.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 An inventor creates microscopic robots to fulfill various tasks, from fixing machines to fighting diseases. Ultimately, the NanoBots save the day at the science fair when they engineer an emergency repair to a giant robot. Colorful digital illustrations almost leap off the page, and a detailed author's note explores current research in nano-robotics, linking fantasy with possibility. STEM has never been this cool.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 In their third outing, the Dinotrux hit the beach for a day of surf and sun. Crabs, seagulls, and sharks threaten to ruin the fun until the Dinotrux do what they do best: dig, move, lift, and dump. Together they work to build the biggest, best sandcastle. Graphite-pencil and digitally colored illustrations capture these animated beasts enjoying their seaside adventure.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(2) K-3 Dog and Cat try to get along, but they're just too different. They build a wall of stuff to separate themselves, but then they start to miss each other...just in time to join forces to escape another new roommate. Text and pictures are layered with humor, and the bold colored-pencil and digitally created art heightens the odd-couple drama.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(3) K-3 Young inventor/superhero Dawson finds ways to use everything again. To keep up with his chores, Dawson builds an incredible vacuum from his pile of junk. But Vacu-Maniac uncontrollably sucks up everything in sight until some major mechanical adjustments are made. Digitally colored engravings with comic-strip panels, speech bubbles, and a plethora of details to pore over illustrate the action-filled heroic story.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 In this Dinotrux sequel, the Dinotrux are sick of being confined in a museum, so they break through the wall and ravage the town--eating cars, moving houses, and drinking from swimming pools. They're ordered to attend school to "learn new ways" and reading calms the savage prehistoric truck-beasts. Boisterous crosshatched illustrations artfully depict the monsters' rage, then their playful tenderness.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 At first the story's misbehaving students don't flinch at the appearance of their substitute "creacher," a green multi-tentacled type who speaks in lugubrious rhyme. But when he shares the fates of former students that he punished for misdeeds, the kids start gulping and the cartoony art gets fiendish. The final twist of this teacher-creature story line earns an A-plus.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 "Millions of years ago prehistoric trucks roamed the earth." These dinotrux (Craneosaurus, Dozeratops, Garbageadon, etc.) don't get along with anyone--until a storm forces the smarter ones to evolve into their more helpful modern counterparts. Illustrations feature strong lines and bold colors; plentiful text asides invite audience participation. Gall has combined two boyhood fixations--trucks and dinosaurs--into one double-the-fun book.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(4) K-3 Davey, accompanied by his robot dog, zooms around his new home--Mars--declaring everything boring. Their unexpected discovery of water on the planet begins a land rush, which sends Davey's family packing to Saturn. The story's joke is one-note; the draw is Gall's digitally enhanced engravings that give the characters a stylish 1950s look and the Martian landscape an American Southwest appearance.

Reviewer: David Elzey