Somewhere

A tropical landscape alive with colorful birds, butterflies, and flowers makes an ideal place for a brown-skinned child wearing a dress and a baseball cap to explore alone, without their father. In a tropical city that could be Havana, with classic building facades painted in many colors, the two enter a park together. Wanting to go “Somewhere new./ Somewhere/ I had never, ever been before,” the child sets off, “step-by-step,/ making footprints/ in the mud,” the father visible nearby behind some greenery. In watercolor and ink illustrations with dappled textures, debut illustrator Mariño paints the child as they find treasures along the way (“a shiny peso!/ And a big green leaf!”) and arrive at last in a place that feels initially “somewhere new./ Somewhere so nice./ Somewhere so quiet,” and soon enough, uncomfortably remote. Sure their father is “lonely without me,” the figure takes a moment to retrace their steps until good thinking and confident self-talk offer the way. Daddy’s affectionate gestures are welcoming as the child puts the found flower into his hair. Harris (It’s Not the Stork!) writes a familiar story about experimenting with independence, and Mariño’s paintings give it visual richness. Ages 4–6. (Feb.)