Big Rigs: Close Up And Very Personal

Despite the provocative title, this will not set the hearts of Playgirl readers aflutter. It's about trucks. Big trucks. From the producers of the popular Farm Animals: Up Close and Very Personal (reviewed in our October 1991 issue), this new entry is another live action, non-narrated, video "picture book" for young kids. Huge 18 wheelers are seen barreling down the highway carrying goods to distant destinations. Along the way, we see a truck being loaded, going through a car wash, being weighed at a truck stop, getting gassed up, having a tire changed, etc. There's also a series of close-up shots of the various components of the truck, and a look inside the cab, where kids get a chance to hear the air horn. Although the production quality is a little bit better than that of Farm Animals, the appeal here is not as wide. (When the kids grow up they'll discover that the real appeal of trucks is not the number of wheels or the obnoxious sounding air horn that--if heard close-up and very personal--can separate you from your skin. The great thing about trucks is that their speed is often a good indicator of whether or not the state patrol is nearby.) Very young Tonka addicts will enjoy this. An optional purchase. (Available from: Stage Fright Productions, P.O. Box 373, Geneva, IL 60134; (708) 208-9845.)