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PICTURE BOOKS
Völker, Sven

Are We There Yet?

32 pp. | Cicada | July, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9781800660373 $16.99
(2) K-3 As Bear wakes from his "long, long sleep," he receives an invitation from Butterfly to join her on a journey. Where to? "All journeys have a secret destination... The journey itself is the reward," responds Butterfly enigmatically. Bear and Butterfly continue their adventure through rain, a dense forest, and quite a treacherous mountain. Once again, Bear asks for a little clarification--"Are we nearly there yet?"--and receives another (seemingly unhelpful) nugget of wisdom from his companion: "Never measure the height of the mountain until you reach the top." The long and winding trip becomes more wondrous, and even more arduous, the farther they go. A broad night sky and a glowing moon remind big Bear of his smallness, and a wide, roaring river he must cross challenges his bravery. As winter is setting in again, Bear and Butterfly finally reach their destination...or, as Butterfly says: "The end of one journey is the beginning of another." Völker's skill as a graphic designer shines through these sleek, minimalist illustrations: mountains and trees appear as striking sequences of triangles, and the changing of seasons is implied by a shift from red and orange dots to white stars sprinkled across the page. Bear's eyes communicate every ounce of his curiosity, fear, hope, and exhaustion along the way.
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

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