Review by Booklist Review
Taking small steps toward independence is what growing up is all about. In this gentle story, a young girl and her father, both with brown skin and dark hair, are walking outdoors. She wants to go somewhere she's never been before. Daddy agrees that she may go exploring, but his watchful presence is visible sometimes through the foliage. As she moves independently through thick vegetation, lushly rendered in watercolor and ink, the girl imagines a leaf so large she can use it as a slide. She collects the broad leaf (now realistically sized), a white flower, a shiny peso, and three feathers to take back to her father. At one point, she becomes disoriented but then finds her own footsteps in the mud and is able to retrace her path to Daddy. Reunited, the two walk further to the seaside and enjoy another new view. The evident love between the parent and child and the encouragement the father provides may inspire children in seeking new experiences and developing self-reliance.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--A seemingly ordinary father-daughter outing is transformed into a brand new adventure in this engaging story. The opening spread reveals that the unnamed girl is ready to independently go "somewhere" that is new and different. She waves goodbye to her father, who has her brown skin and dark hair, and begins a journey through the forest of discovery and curiosity. During her outing, she collects treasures such as a shiny peso, a large leaf, flowers, and feathers. It is around this time that she realizes how much her father would love to be "somewhere" with her--before using her self-reliance to return to him and share her experiences. Mariño's stunning watercolor and ink illustrations invite readers to join the young protagonist on her new adventure, an excellent complement to Harris's lyrical text. Pair with My Forest is Green by Darren LeBeuf, A Walk in the Forest by Maria Dek, and The Secret Fawn by Kallie George for stimulating discussions of nature, adventure, and self-sufficiency. VERDICT Brimming with respect for curiosity and independence, this is a welcome addition to most collections.--Olivia Gorecke, Cape May Cty. Lib., Ocean View, NJ
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
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. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
