Are We There Yet?

by Dan Santat

Overview

Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat—creator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend and After the Fall—takes readers on the road trip of a lifetime!

"Are we there yet?" Every parent has heard this classic kid question on a long car ride—and after reading this astonishingly inventive new book (that even turns upside down for several pages!), you'll never look at being bored the same way again.

Let's face it: everyone knows that car rides can be boring. And when things get boring, time slows down. In this book, a boy feels time slowing down so much that it starts going backward—into the time of pirates! Of princesses! Of dinosaurs! The boy was just trying to get to his grandmother's birthday party, but instead he's traveling through Ancient Egypt and rubbing shoulders with Ben Franklin. When time flies, who knows where—or when—he'll end up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316199995
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/12/2016
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 12.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Dan Santat is the Caldecott Medal-winning and New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, Are We There Yet?, and After the Fall as well as the illustrator of many other picture books, including Crankenstein by Samantha Berger. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and various pets.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Are We There Yet?
A 2018-2019 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee


*"The energy of his riotous story...gives it a laser focus. It's a remarkable feat-a turbocharged adventure that's also a meditation on the relative nature of time."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

*"Employing both comic-book-style panels and full-bleed spreads, the mixed-media illustrations are full of humor, and the changes in point of view keep the telling dynamic and engaging....A multilayered, modern-day parable reminding readers there's no greater gift than the present."—Kirkus, starred review

*"Following his Caldecott win for The Adventures of Beekle (2014), Santat offers an imaginative account of a boy's car trip to his grandmother's birthday party.... The inventive format and engrossing artwork will make kids happy to go along for the ride."—Booklist, starred review

"This imaginative take on the never-ending car ride is filled with surprises.... Filled with excitement and humorous details.... Full-spreads, giant comic panels, and alarmed expressions add to the fun."—School Library Journal

"How do you follow up a Caldecott Medal win? If you're Dan Santat (The Adventures of Beekle), you turn the picture book form on its head...Visual clues...add depth and humor."—Horn Book

"Santat digs deep into his stockpile of illustrative tricks to manipulate time and space through clever page turns, comics style sequential frames, background fade outs, and a wealth of loony details to keep viewers scouring the scenes for giggle-worthy details."—BCCB

"Santat paints like the caffeinated love child of Delacroix and MacGyver....a mind-boggling clever idea."—The New York Times

"Ambitious and inventive."
—USA Today

From the Publisher

★ 2016-02-02
A car trip to visit Grandma on her birthday feels like "an eternity." What happens when you just get too bored? Most parents on a car trip have heard the titular question, but in Caldecott medalist Santat's hands, the familiar trip becomes an unforgettable romp through time and space. As the moment of absolute boredom reaches "forever," a clever twist forces readers to turn the book upside down and read "backward," time also going backward. The family car travels back to the Wild West, the days of Blackbeard, medieval Europe, and ancient Egypt. As the parents grow increasingly anxious (jousting was not part of their plan), the oblivious kid in the back continues to whine, finally noticing the moment the car is in when it reaches the age of the dinosaurs. In another literal turn of the book, time now flies by too quickly. The family and other fellow time travelers—met in moments of boredom—hurtle through time into the future, arriving at Grandma's address only to find her home is no longer there, and they have missed the party. But not to worry, it is only the mind playing tricks. Employing both comic-book-style panels and full-bleed spreads, the mixed-media illustrations are full of humor, and the changes in point of view keep the telling dynamic and engaging. Mom is white, Dad slightly darker-skinned, and the party guests (when they finally arrive) are thrillingly diverse if mostly a bit long in the tooth. A multilayered, modern-day parable reminding readers there's no greater gift than the present. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews

"The car trip to Grandma’s always feels exciting until after the first hour,” begins Robert Petkoff in the informative voice of a travel guide. Questioning and mystery enter his tone as he wonders what happens after that hour, “when your brain is bored.” Then Petkoff departs from his neutral role to become the squeaky-voiced complaining backseat child who issues the classic titular question. On the accompanying CD, Santat’s comic illustrations mark changes in the story and the child’s emotions. Petkoff animates the tale with a dinosaur roar, alien chatter, and, of course, the continual whine of the bored but imaginative passenger. Illustrations and narration work together well to emphasize the humor. S.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

MAY 2016 - AudioFile

"The car trip to Grandma’s always feels exciting until after the first hour,” begins Robert Petkoff in the informative voice of a travel guide. Questioning and mystery enter his tone as he wonders what happens after that hour, “when your brain is bored.” Then Petkoff departs from his neutral role to become the squeaky-voiced complaining backseat child who issues the classic titular question. On the accompanying CD, Santat’s comic illustrations mark changes in the story and the child’s emotions. Petkoff animates the tale with a dinosaur roar, alien chatter, and, of course, the continual whine of the bored but imaginative passenger. Illustrations and narration work together well to emphasize the humor. S.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

MAY 2016 - AudioFile