Trucks: Giants of the Highway

Handsome tinted photos portray a fleet of tractor-trailers and semis as they cross the country. The hand-colored photos add a sometimes retro, sometimes otherworldly look to the varied highway terrain and the big skies over the big rigs. Robbins (Autumn Leaves; the Elements series) manages to bring real lyricism to his gritty subject: one graffiti-covered semitrailer, perched on its landing gear, is caught between wet pavement and an overcast pink and blue sky; in another shot, a lone red truck makes its way along a stretch of highway in a verdant valley. And yet he doesn't overly aestheticize. The reader gets a glimpse into the life of a trucker, including the sleeper behind the cab and the truck stops where the trucks mingle with like behemoths and the drivers can fuel up and eat. The straightforward text hums along like the 18 wheels of its subject. A fine photo-essay tribute to life on the road. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)