Are We There Yet, Daddy?

Complete with gatefold map, a determined son asks his father if their trip is nearly over whereby he is given a map to follow throughout their journey until they arrive at Grandma's house in this colorfully illustrated introduction to map reading.

Kindergarten-Grade 3-This unique picture book combines map and counting skills with a bouncy refrain that invites kids to join in. A little boy and his dad set out in their yellow Volkswagon Beetle to visit grandma. Like all children, the boy repeatedly asks, "Are we there yet, Daddy?" Dad says, "Just look at the map, Son. Then you will know." A large gatefold map precedes the title page, but a smaller version is reproduced on each two-page spread. Landmarks along the route help the child see that they have 90 miles to go, 80 miles to go, etc. The map is easy to follow. Children will enjoy finding locations in the illustrations (a tunnel, a bridge, an ice cream store) and matching them with places on the map. The flat, pastel pictures add enlivening details to the repetitive text. The youngster has flaming red hair that refuses to lie flat. Father and son start the trip cheerfully singing. As time passes, dad's expression becomes more severe, especially when his son drops ice cream on the car seat or announces, "this is getting boring." Although he finally announces, "I'm glad the trip is over-it seemed to take a year," listeners will look forward to many return visits.
Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the back seat it comes, steady as a metronome, deadly as an asp: ``Are we there yet?'' Walters understands that the only true way to tame this beast is to impart a sense of geography and to teach the fundamentals of map reading, which help convey a sense of movement through space. Every spread comes with an inset map to measure a father and son's progress to grandmother's house (notched off in ten-mile intervals). The map gives both a notion of orientation as well as a hint at the topography they are passing through. Walters's versified travelogue explains what's happening outside the window in greater detail and features an exchange that is repeated every 10 miles: `` `Are we there yet, Daddy?' Daddy says, `No.' `How much farther do we have to go?' `Just look at the map, Son. Then you will know.' '' The numeric countdown, and the progress the travelers are making toward their destination, add drama, and Schindler's maps have a plain-spoken clarity that make them easy to understand and enjoy. (Picture book. 3-8) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Father, son, and Bitsy the dog take a 100-mile car trip to Grandma's house. They go through the city, race with train cars, survive a rainstorm, stop for snacks and eventually wind up at their destination. Every 10 miles, though, the son asks, "Are we there yet, Daddy?" and is told to consult the map. The map and the route are shown so children can follow along. The son's growing boredom, the father's increasing annoyance, and the changing countryside are all cleverly and subtly shown in the watercolor illustrations, and the story is told in a simple, repetitive rhyme, which captures the rhythm of a road trip. The book teaches basic math and map skills in an enjoyable way that will encourage both beginning readers and listeners. Marta Segal