SOMEWHERE

An outing to the park fulfills a child’s wish to go somewhere new.

On a beautiful sunny day, a father and child take a walk that leads to a park. There, they part ways, the child (who narrates the story) waving goodbye: “I knew he would miss me, but I had to go.” The child takes a grand adventure, reveling in sudden independence: “I didn’t know where I was going. But I knew I was going somewhere.” On the journey—sometimes magical in nature (the child, suddenly small at one point, slides down a leaf)—the child finds a peso, a big green leaf, a pretty white flower, and three fluffy feathers. Having finally arrived somewhere new, nice, and quiet, the child remembers Daddy and realizes that he must be lonely. Running back to find him, the child discovers him waiting with outstretched arms. As their outing continues, they end up somewhere they can share, somewhere that is new to both of them. The story sensitively portrays a parent who understands the fine balance between a child’s need for independence and the need for supportive reassurance. Mariño’s sun-filled, vibrant watercolor illustrations set the story in a town that could be in Cuba. Both father and child have brown skin and curly, dark hair.

A lovely portrayal of the father-child bond.