If you are dealing with a kid who loves big machines, this is a unique story to read them. Instead of the standard dump trucks and excavators, this is the story of a boring machine. Presented in a narrative style we follow the impetus for the tunnel, the engineer behind the project, the problems that arose, and the public sentiment for the project. It's an easy to follow narrative that uses accessible vocabulary. Heavily illustrated it includes back matter for more in depth information and a few photos.

I was fortunate enough to witness the "Big Dig" in Boston, as well as to live in Seattle during the construction of the tunnel by Big Bertha. The processes have fascinated me. Abler does a very good job of explaining the tunneling. While this is supposedly a book for young children, even old timers like myself can enjoy it. Easily readable, full of fascinating details, and a very quick read. Buy this book for your grandchildren, and then when they are not looking, give it a read yourself. You'll be surprised!

Big Bertha is a massive tunnel boring machine that spent years constructing a double-decker highway tunnel under the city of Seattle. This is story of how she came to be built, her long and successful job, and what happened when she was done. Super interesting for those who like machines or transportation. I like how it brought in the people who also worked on this project for years. Lots of interesting facts in the back, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sasquatch Books for this DRC.
#BigBertha #NetGalley