Are We There Yet? (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–Eight-year-old Grace describes a three-month trip around Australia with her Mum; Dad; older brother, Luke; and younger brother, Billy (he's the one who keeps up the refrain of the title). Hitching up Poppa's old camper trailer behind their car, this amiable family takes a winter term off from school to experience the remarkable diversity of their country. The varied layout, with text judiciously interspersed among the appealing illustrations, gives readers the experience of browsing through a family album. This is more than just a sightseeing tour as the family members react and interact, often humorously, on their journey. (Mother is afraid of heights–until that scary bungee ride at Surfers Paradise, which she loves). The text assumes local knowledge, (e.g., the Nullarbor Plain, Quokkas, or the Bungle Bungles) without benefit of a glossary, though a detailed map on the front endpapers clearly labels locations and sights. Young armchair travelers interested in Australia may be limited in number, but those who embark will find this an enjoyable trip.–Caroline Ward, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. Eight-year-old Grace, her parents, and her two brothers embark on a six-month-long journey to tour their country, Australia. Driving around the perimeter of the continent (except when they plunge into the Outback to visit places such as Alice Springs and Uluru) they drive, swim, hike, enjoy zoos, museums, and tourist sites; observe the changing landscape; play Monopoly on rainy days; and visit relatives. Written in Grace's voice, the text has a colloquial lilt and a consistently childlike point of view, giving the book an appealing informality lacking in more conventional treatments. Readers can refer to small maps throughout the book as they chart the family's progress. Lively and detailed, the colorful ink-and-watercolor artwork creates visual impressions through dozens of individual pictures. Evidently based on Lester's own travels, this brightly illustrated book makes an attractive and effective introduction to Australia. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Pub (January 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929132735
• ISBN-13: 978-1929132737
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #241,748 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get to know Australia, November 15, 2006

By	Patricia Ryan "Aussie mum of 2" (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a wonderful way for kids and adults alike to share a journey around Australia. The descriptions and illustrations are wonderful and typical of Alison Lesters style. Anyone planning a long car ride with kids should read this book together.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is a world out there..., May 11, 2005

By	Nicola J. Klausen (NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a fantastic book for fostering a child's interest in the world outside their own community. It doesn't matter that the topic is a trip around Australia - it could just as easily be any part of the world. The point is that this is a family of five that goes out and has an adventure together. In doing this, they are spending time together and discovering more about the country they live in.

There is a lot of information about Australia in the story, taken from a kids-eye-level which engages preschoolers to primary age children.

Young Billy's chant 'Are we there yet' is not a yearning for home, rather it's every child's boredom with the seemingly endless driving on a 10,000km+ road trip around a continent. All children can identify with this!

This book is definitely a favourite in our house!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the varied landscape of Australia for children, February 28, 2005

By	Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A trip by a family with three children around Australia takes in wildlife, seacoasts, natural formations, and deserts, different inhabitants, tourist spots, and other points of interest. Most of these are pictured three or four per page. The youngest child, Billy, misses the family pets, and keeps asking when they are going to get home. The family is glad to be eventually home after the lengthy trip; but everyone appreciates what they have seen and learned about the large, diverse continent of Australia. For ages 4-8.