MY SOMEONE

A stray dog desperately seeks a better life.

“I don’t like being alone,” a scruffy yellow pup states flatly. As the book opens, we see the pup scavenging in garbage cans, ducking fights with bigger, threatening mutts, and dodging gigantic, deafening trucks. Taking shelter during a downpour, the shivering pooch gazes longingly at dog and human families on the sidewalk nearby, hoping to be noticed, only to encounter animal rescue workers. They give the dog a bath and shots (“I REALLY don’t like this,” our narrator comments). At last an East Asian–presenting parent and child arrive to see the dog (attentive readers will recognize them from the sidewalk spread). Cautiously, the dog sniffs the child’s hand, and the child scoops up the dog. Inside the humans’ bright, cheery house, the dog declares, “I like this place…it’s warm and quiet.” While no place is perfect, our protagonist feels safe and loved at last, with “my someone.” Torii’s watercolor and ink artwork balances moody washes of gray and blue with expansive white space to convey the little dog’s emotional journey, effectively using varying perspectives and comic book–style illustrations for humor and engagement. Spare, poetic text anchors readers in the dog’s inner monologue, with emotions heightened by the pooch’s comical expressions.

A heartwarming tale of trust and belonging.