If you loved AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, wait until you read today’s picture book based on the real first cross country road trip.

Stacy McAnulty is a mechanical engineer turned children’s book author who dreams of someday being a dog therapist, a correspondent for The Daily Show, an astronaut, or a Green Bay Packers coach. She’s the author of the chapter book series The Dino Files and Goldie Blox, the bestselling middle grade novel The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, and picture books including Are We There Yet? illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley and Excellent Ed illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach, which won an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor. When not writing, Stacy likes to listen to NPR, bake triple-chocolate cupcakes, and eat triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate New York, she now lives in Kernersville, North Carolina, with her three kids, three dogs, and one husband. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram, BlueSky, or Facebook.

ARE WE THERE YET? is a nonfiction picture book about the very first cross-country road trip in the USA. Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson bets fifty dollars that he can drive a car from California to New York, in less than three months. The only trouble is that there are no highways and everyone else who has tried has failed. OH and he doesn’t know how to drive! He hires a bike racer to act as mechanic and picks up a mascot (a bulldog named Bud) along the way and he’s OFF on an adventure in The Vermont (his car’s name). This is a story that will keep readers riveted.

Welcome Stacy!

Me: I can’t imagine anyone isn’t familiar with your work, but can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey?  When did you start writing? How did that lead to where you are now as the writer of this book?

Stacy: My first book was published in the fall of 2013. (That means I’ve been at this for nearly 12 years. I can’t believe it!) I started by writing fiction picture books and early chapter books, then branched out into middle-grade novels and nonfiction for kids of all ages. I’m probably best known for the novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, and the Our Universe picture book series, which included Earth My First 4.54 Billion Years and Pluto! Not a Planet? Not a Problem. I’m very lucky to say (to brag?) that I’m the author of over 35 books for kids. And it all started because I loved reading to my own children when they were little. We’d grab a stack of picture books and cuddle for thirty minutes (or more) before bed. I knew I wanted to be part of the magical kidlit world. However, I had a lot to learn. My background is in mechanical engineering (hence all the STEM books!), and it took me over ten years to hone my writing skills to the point that I was ready for publication.

Me: By this point in your career, you have written many amazing nonfiction (& fiction) picture books.  You have quite a knack for finding a unique angle to share nonfiction information. How did you first hear about this nugget of history? What was it about this story that first grabbed you and drew you to write about it?

Stacy: Are We There Yet is my 37th book, and it only came about because I was researching my 34th book, a novel titled Forever Twelve. That book contains characters who look like tweens and teens but are really hundreds of years old. They’re called Evers. One of the main characters was born in the seventeen hundreds. In order to write about these Evers, I need to know what they lived through. So, I started watching documentaries and reading history books. That’s when I came across the story of Horatio, Crocker, and Bud (the dog!). It’s a ridiculous tale about their journey from California to New York with very little preparation or knowledge. They were just determined! I love characters who never give up.

Me: How long did it take from your first discovery of this story to its ultimate publication? Were there detours or road blocks along the way?

Stacy: I wrote the first draft of Are We There Yet in the winter of 2022. It was a blast retelling this ridiculous, almost unbelievable story. I don’t want to say it was easy—writing is never easy—but the words flowed, and it was fun. There was only one problem, the manuscript was nearly 4000 words long. No one wants a picture book with hundreds of words on each page. I debated trying to turn it into a longer story, perhaps a chapter book. That didn’t feel right. So, instead, I started slashing words, sentences, paragraphs, and whole subplots. It was agony to cut some great content. I kept saying readers would love this detail (like when they pulled into town at the same time as the circus, and people assumed they were part of the act). And while I hated it at the time, I read the book now and it feels complete.

Me: Can you tell us a bit about your research process?  How long did it take you to research all the different facts and tidbits that went into this story?

Stacy: It’s hard to calculate the exact number of hours or days I spent researching for this book. That’s because research doesn’t really stop—at least for me. I start with tons of research, of course, but I continue to look things up while I write, edit, work with my editor and copy editor, review sketches, and look at final-pass pages. I’m even researching now, and the book is done. I’m collecting more details for when I speak to kids at school visits for the launch of this title.

For Are We There Yet, the research began with a Ken Burns documentary. I also read the accompanying out-of-print book, which I bought secondhand. Of course, I’m constantly on the Internet, getting details from periodicals, encyclopedias, museum websites, and other sources.

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?

Stacy: I’ve written plenty of nonfiction before, but it’s always been about science. Writing historical nonfiction is quite different. When I write about the Moon, I can find creative ways to share the facts. It’s not about exact dates, people, or places—well, except when talking about things like the Moon landings. For Are We There Yet?, we have a very set timeline, specific people, and exact locations. I can’t switch events around to up the drama and build tension. You have to find the story arc and maintain the truth.

Me: Elizabeth Baddeley’s illustrations in this book are wonderful!  They fit so perfectly.  And those endpapers! They are incredible. Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?

Stacy: I love the art in this book. Every page deserves to be framed, and Elizabeth is an absolute pro. She’s one of the best nonfiction illustrators around, if not the best. She did an incredible amount of research to make certain details were accurate. For example, were there phone lines and poles in San Francisco in 1903? In which pictures should the Vermont (the vehicle) have a spare tire? (The Vermont wouldn’t have a spare tire attached if the men just used their only spare tire.) And, of course, she does a perfect job of capturing the likeness and spirit of Bud!  Any scene with Bud is going to be my favorite.  

Me: You have written and published numerous nonfiction picture books.  What is one thing you have learned along the way, that you would share with other new writers of nonfiction picture books?

Stacy: You can’t fit everything in one book—especially a picture book. Deciding what to leave out is the hardest part, at least for me. For new writers, I’d suggest stuffing everything into the first draft. Write that 5,000-word behemoth of a manuscript. Then, spend the next three months getting it down to 1,500 words. Or, if you’re really good, get it under 1,000. Once satisfied with the story, put it away for at least four weeks, ideally, longer. When you return to the manuscript after a break, you’ll be a better critic and able to judge your work most honestly. Did it hold up, or is it a mess? Of course, while you are on your break from the story, you’re writing something else new and brilliant.

(Bonus tip: read your work aloud or have the computer read it to you. How did it sound? Is it too long? Where did it drag? Would you enjoy reading this to kids dozens and dozens of times over? Because when you publish it, that’s what you get to do. Because being a kidlit author is the best job ever!)

That’s great advice. Thank you for stopping by my blog today Stacy.

Dear readers, this book is published today. It’s a real historical account of a ridiculous story that must be read to be believed. Trust me when I say that this is one story you won’t want to miss!