Author/illustrator Yuko Torii's inspiring picture book, My Someone, gives voice to a small, scruffy yellow dog who declares, "I don't like being alone."
The street pup eats from garbage cans only when other larger canines aren't fiercely laying claim. Scary loud noises and bad weather pose additional threats: "I want to feel safe." The storm-drenched pup looks out from its slight cover of a garbage can lid at a smalltown sidewalk filled with families and their furry companions walking, browsing, sipping, and shopping. The pooch dreams, "I want to find my someone." An irresistible tasty treat lands the pup with an animal rescue team ready to groom and vaccinate ("I REALLY don't like this," the dog declares at the offensive shot). But all that pampering pays off when a parent and child choose the floofy bundle to take home. "I like this place," the pup thinks, "it's warm and quiet." At last, the pooch can eat, play, rest, and, best of all, share cozy overnight cuddles with "my someone."
Torii's charming "human made... watercolor and ink" illustrations use plenty of white space, suggesting at first an emptiness in the small dog's uncertain existence. Dangers, however, including massive trucks and torrential storms, dominate whole spreads. Torii's pages noticeably begin to fill with colorful details as a promising future takes shape: the dog's rescue, a new home, a bedtime hug. Her repeated use of red--collar and leash, shoes, polka-dotted blanket--underscores the connections between parent, child, and dog. Torii charmingly offers plenty of convincing reasons for furry family additions. --Terry Hong