Hello, friends! Our book today is Somewhere, Right Now, written by Kerry Docherty and illustrated by Suzie Mason, an everyday tale of encouragement and support.

Young Alma is feeling scared during a thunderstorm, but Mommy has words of advice for her: when feeling scared, it helps to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and imagine something wonderful happening in the world. Picturing a mother and baby giraffe grazing on apricot leaves, Alma does feel better. She passes on this technique to her little brother Jack when she finds him feeling angry, who in turn passes it on to their father when Daddy is feeling sad. Their support comes full circle when Mommy is feeling overwhelmed, and they all find something wonderful to picture: a family, together and smiling in their home.

Lightweight but sweet. While this one offers a very nice reflection/self-care tip for readers, it does so in a way that feels a little simplistic, especially for readers whose emotions may be rooted in more significant problems. For instance, Alma and Jack’s father is sad because he is grieving over the death of his own mother. While Jack’s advice – to think of a baby horse learning to walk somewhere – is a genuinely sweet interaction, it also subtly sends the message that feeling grief over the loss of a loved one is something that can and should be easily gotten over with a moment’s meditation. As an emotional management technique for the kids, who are dealing with more superficial problems, the “somewhere, right now” method works very well; for the parents’ problems, it seems a little too superficial. Suzie Mason’s digital illustrations are soft and sweet, creating a mixed-race family with lovable characters and adding interesting details in the environments. The length is fine for very young bookworms, and JJ liked the animal imaginings quite a bit. Overall, it’s worth the read, especially for a look at managing emotions for young bookworms. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)