Yuko's Books

Heartfelt Stories for Little Readers

I want to find my someone.

Available from your favorite bookstore

My Someone

A Pet Adoption Story

Written and Illustrated by Yuko Torii

A stray dog roams the streets alone, scared of the world around him. He doesn’t like loud noises, feeling hungry, or being wet and cold. All he wants is to find his someone —his forever home.

This little dog’s quest for comfort and love is realized when a young boy and his mother rescue him from the streets.

Through tender art and spare text, Yuko Torii’s heartfelt debut picture book reflects on what it means to be chosen and have a place in the world, reminding readers that with care and connection, anyone can feel at home.

Age Range: 2-4 years
Grade: Up to Preschool
Pages: 32
Available on: Mar 03, 2026

Publisher: RISE x Penguin Workshop
Editor: Nicole Fox
Designer: Rae Peckman
ISBN: 978-0-593-88727-1

First Impressions

Selected excerpts from early readers’ reviews

More than any direct appeal to altruism or compassion, the focus on emotions in this very simple episode is sure to spark empathy in younger audiences.

After this book, the hard part of winning them over to the notion that adopting a rescued pet would be a wonderful and rewarding deed will be done.

School Library JournalFebruary, 2026

The simplicity and directness make this an easy pick for a toddler storytime, and the repetition invites boisterous participation.

The sparse text is cleverly built on by the delightful, glowing watercolor art that uses varied saturation and delicate linework to create depth, while dynamic compositions move with a gentle energy.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s BooksJanuary, 2026

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... Spare, poetic text anchors readers in the dog’s inner monologue...

A heartwarming tale of trust and belonging.

Kirkus ReviewsOctober, 2025

How the story started...

One evening in January 2023, my husband and I went out for dinner at the small restaurant near our house. While we were eating, we noticed this tiny dog peeking at us from the entrance.

Living here, in a small village in México, it is not unusual to see street dogs, freely roaming and begging for food. Our waiter shooed the dog away several times, but he kept on coming back. He was shabby and frightened, just sat at the entrance and watched us with those sorrowful eyes. He gradually gave up and walked away.

I could not shake off the image of the dog. Somehow I instantly viewed the world from the dog’s eyes. It is almost like his soul took over mine with his gaze. How frightening and difficult it might be to live on streets, with cars, trucks and motorcycles running, other bigger more aggressive dogs barking and fighting over scraps, and people not being nice.

I had this strong urge to meet him again, so I posted his photos on social media. Many people informed me of his sightings, and I kept going back to the location. But I never saw the dog again.

I wish someone brave and kind took him in, and he decided to open his heart one more time to trust the person. I still dream that he found his forever home and lives happily ever after.

I wrote this story for “Perrito” (means “little dog” in Spanish), that nameless little dog I met.