It was pure delight to unwrap this brand new, sparkling,
coppery-golden foiled 20th anniversary version of the book for review. Told
through the voice of eight-year-old Grace, this new incarnation of the book has
not aged a jot.
Lester is a national treasure and it is easy to see why.
Two decades on, this book is still delightfully fresh, funny and relevant.
Timeless family dynamics and developmental stages are chaotically and tenderly
rendered in both words and pictures.
The book follows the family’s three-month journey from home in rural South Australia (waving goodbye to grandparents and pets), all the way around the edge of Australia to finally return home.
When I had three children under four and a Nonna who
lived by the bay, Are We There Yet’s first release quickly became a
staple in our household. Gifted to the kids by their Grandma who lived in the
suburbs, our paperback copy was dog-eared and worn. And yes, there might even
be a little bit of honey bread smeared through its pages.
Unlike other families, we didn’t follow the route taken
by author Alison Lester’s tribe around Australia, but we did marvel at the
pictures and pore over the places and learn to sing-song Are We There Yet? in
unison.
With surprises and delight at every page turn, this book
is beautifully designed and illustrated. Some pages contain many images, often
in unusual shapes (such as a long skinny rectangle that runs the bottom length
of the page), which magnificently represent the vastness of the Australian
landscape.
The front endpapers are a map of Australia showing the
route taken, which is perfect for small children to return to even when not
reading the story.
This book is an absolute must-have for every Australian
home – irrespective of the number of small children within!
If you don’t already have a copy, do yourself a favour.
Title: Are We There Yet? 20th Anniversary Edition
Author/Illustrator: Alison Lester
Publisher: Puffin, $19.99
Publication Date: 29 Oct 2024
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761620416
For Ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book
