Today we are excited to share a guest post from Yuko Torii (My Someone: A Pet Adoption Story)!
Read on for more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
About the Author: Yuko Torii
Yuko Torii was born in a small town near Kobe, Japan. As a child, she always dreamed of traveling and discovering a new place to call home. Her dreams became a reality when she moved to Los Angeles and received a BFA in fine arts from the Otis College of Art and Design. She then worked at Louis Vuitton as a top hand-painter and a designer of trunks, including the “Malle Mars” (Mars Trunk) now displayed in the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. She also worked as a master embosser for Anya Hindmarch of London. After living in New York for many years, participating in the city’s active arts scenes, she and her husband made the move to Mexico, where she is enjoying the nation’s ancient and contemporary cultural riches, as well as the warmth of its people. Yuko is a self-proclaimed “Queen of Kittyrature,” a storyteller whose trademark characters are feline protagonists (largely inspired by her three cats, Mitternacht, Mondschein, and Parsifal), but she loves dogs just as much!
About the Book: Anne: My Someone: A Pet Adoption Story
A heartwarming picture book about a stray dog’s journey to finding his forever home.
A little stray dog wanders the streets alone, afraid of everything he comes across—loud city noises, getting caught in the cold rain, and bigger dogs that fight for scraps. He doesn’t like it!
And he especially doesn’t like it when he gets caught by animal rescue and is forced to be cleaned and scrubbed. But everything changes when a family chooses him to take home, helping him slowly discover all the things he does like—playing fetch, eating delicious food, and being loved forever.
Through rich art and sparse text, debut author-illustrator Yuko Torii shows how to be grateful for every step of life’s journey.
~Guest Post by Yuko Torii~
“I don’t like being alone.”
“I don’t like being hungry, or getting into fights.”
In my debut picture book, “My Someone: A Pet Adoption Story,” a small dog, living alone on the streets, narrates his journey to finding comfort and a loving family of his own. Will the little dog find what he’s looking for? And will his wishes come true?
This story is based on a real encounter I experienced.
One evening, back in January 2023, my husband and I went out to eat at a small local restaurant in Ajijic, México, where we live. While we were enjoying dinner, we noticed this tiny dog peeking at us from the restaurant entrance. In our village, sadly it is not unusual to see stray dogs, freely roaming and begging for food. Our waiter noticed the little dog and tried to shoo him away several times. But the dog kept on coming back. He was scruffy and extremely timid. He was just sitting at the corner of a doorway and watching us with those sorrowful eyes. Eventually he gave up and walked away.
Somehow, I could not shake off the image of the little dog.
Those who know me and my artwork know that I am an ultimate cat lover, and not a dog person at all. So this new dog fixation surprised me most of all.
I had a strong urge to meet that dog again.
It sounds so surreal, but I felt as if my heart and all my senses were taken over by him through his gaze. I could instantly see the whole world through his eyes:
Huge speeding trucks, cars, motorcycles zooming by, often honking loudly.
Bigger stray dogs constantly barking at him and chasing after him.
People occasionally toss him food scraps, but most of the time, people don’t want him around.
Harsh words, hostile gestures, sometimes a broomstick to make him go away.
How frightening and unkind the whole world is!
The powerless little dog’s lonely, unhappy, aching soul filled mine.
Somehow I managed to take several photos of the dog that night, so I posted the photos on social media to inquire after his whereabouts. Some people responded with their sightings, and I kept on going back to those locations to look for him.
But I never saw that dog again.
To this day, every time I pass by the restaurant where I met the dog, my heart aches.
I still can’t help hoping and wishing that someone compassionate and brave found him and took him in. I dream that the person is very kind and patient, so the little dog’s heart, filled with sorrow and fear, would slowly thaw. I envision the little dog found his special someone and lives happily in his forever home.
I’ve begun to call that nameless little dog “Perrito,” which means “puppy” in Spanish.
This book is my tangible dream for Perrito.
This book is for him, and for all animals still waiting for their special someone.
Through this book, I hope young readers learn that all living creatures have feelings and that they, too, deserve happiness and love.
The little dog also shows children that reaching your dreams often takes courage, patience, and the strength to move through discomfort.
Title: My Someone: A Pet Adoption Story
Author: Yuko Torii
Release Date: 3/3/26
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
ISBN-13: 9780593887271
Genre: Picture Book – Fiction
Age Range: 2-4
*Giveaway Details*
Two (2) winners will receive a hardcover copy of My Someone: A Pet Adoption Story (Yuko Torii)! ~ US ONLY!
My grandniece would enjoy reading this book. Thanks for sharing!
Rescue dogs, forever homes…bound to be a winner story!
As the owner of a rescue dog, I loved hearing about how this story came to be.