ARE WE THERE, YETI?

Name: ARE WE THERE, YETI?
Author: Ashlyn Anstee
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3089-0

by Ashlyn Anstee ; illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2015

A nifty take on the perennial question “Are we there, yet(i)?” and a prerequisite read-aloud before a first class field trip

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Good things come to those who wait.

A colorful, multiracial class greets Yeti, the bus driver: “Where are we going, Yeti?” “It’s a surprise!” he announces. And so everyone piles into a school bus for a ride down what appears to be a never-ending road. They traverse a variety of bright landscapes: a packed city playground; a sandy stretch where children and animals play and grown-ups lie belly-up under beach umbrellas; a mountainside adorned with skiing ducks and a sleeping unicorn. Different countrysides emerge with every spread. At a point when the class declares hunger, thirst, boredom, and a need for bathroom stops, Yeti finally announces that they have indeed arrived. But they can’t be in the right place. Their puzzling destination is still, cold, and white—the obverse of the bustling landscapes they’ve crossed. “This is it?” asks an apprehensive boy—and then a group of young yetis emerge from their cave. The class, now wearing mittens and each paired up with a yeti buddy, frolics in the snow. One set forms snow angels; another builds a snow-yeti, while another group initiates a snowball fight. Employing a combination of expressive illustrations and simple dialogue in bubbles, Anstee delivers a simple, satisfying, if low-key debut.

A nifty take on the perennial question “Are we there, yet(i)?” and a prerequisite read-aloud before a first class field trip . (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 21, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4814-3089-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE EXPLORERS
by Dee Hahn ; illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee

- BOOK REVIEW
BOOP THE SNOOT
by Ashlyn Anstee ; illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE NARWHAL, NOT ALONE
by Tiffany Stone ; illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK LOST AND FOUND

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.

After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9780063436121

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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THE PUMPKIN THIEF

From the Leaf Thief series

by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2026

More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.

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Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.

Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.

More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)