Big Truck Super Wash by Stephen R. Swinburne

Everyone needs a good wash occasionally. Even a giant excavator! After a hard day’s work, a garbage truck, a tractor, an 18-wheeler, and more are covered with dirt, slime, manure, mud, and bugs. Off to the Big Truck Super Wash!

Honk! Honk! Clank! Belch! 5 powerful trucks tell how they got so grubby. The dump truck explains—

Hauling rocks from the gravel pit,
Working in clouds of dust and grit.
It’s what I love! It’s what I do!
Wouldn’t you want to play in dirt too?

The jolly manager at the Big Truck Super Wash welcomes each dirty truck with a warm smile, shampoo (gurgle and gush), steam, scrubbers (swish-a, swoosh-a), and a rinse. The trucks can return home glistening, gleaming, and spot-free.

With rhythm, rhyme, and onomatopoeia, the text is fun to read aloud. And each truck is depicted with expressive headlight eyes and a personality of its own. In creating the character of the truck wash manager, the illustrator portrayed his dad, who owned a truck and often recruited his son to help wash it.

Subtle messages about hard work and cleanliness make it a perfect choice for bath time or any time!

Steve R. Swinburne was born in London, England. He is the author of Run, Sea Turtle, Run – A Hatchling’s Journey (2021), Safe in a Storm(2016), and Sea Turtle Scientist (2014). He holds a BA degree in Biology and English from Castleton State College in Vermont. He has worked as a ranger in several national parks and is the author of over 30 children’s books. His extensive travels to faraway lands such as Africa, Borneo, Bangladesh, and India along with treks through Yellowstone and swimming with manatees have all influenced his book projects. He visits more than 50 schools a year across the United States aswell as many international schools. He lives in Vermont and Florida with his wife Heather.

James Rey Sanchez grew up in Santa Maria, California, where his love for art came from many hours of reading comics, playing video games, and watching 90’s Saturday morning cartoons. He graduated from the Academy of Art University with a BFA in Visual Development, studies in Children Book Illustration, and top honors. He has illustrated Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing (a Sydney Taylor Notable Book), This Magical Musical Night, and Jonah’s Tale of a Whale. In Big Truck Super Wash, the car wash manager closely resembles Sanchez’s dad, a truck owner who often enlisted his son when it came time to wash it.

Author Residence: Vermont and Florida

Author Hometown: London, England

James Rey Sanchez grew up in Santa Maria, California, where his love for art came from many hours of reading comics, playing video games, and watching 90’s Saturday morning cartoons. He graduated from the Academy of Art University with a BFA in Visual Development, studies in Children Book Illustration, and top honors. He has illustrated Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing (a Sydney Taylor Notable Book), This Magical Musical Night, and Jonah’s Tale of a Whale. In Big Truck Super Wash, the car wash manager closely resembles Sanchez’s dad, a truck owner who often enlisted his son when it came time to wash it.

Illustrator Residence: Santa Maria, CA