Where is Thomas?

Written by Micaela Chirif
Illustrated by Leire Salaberria
Santiago: Ekaré, 2016
ISBN: 9788494429118

♦ Top 30 Children’s Books of 2020
♦ 2019 UNESCO Chair of Reading PUC-Rio Award
♦ 2017 Colibrí Medal Mention
♦ 2017 Cuatrogatos Foundation Award
♦ 2017 Bratislava Biennale Selection

Thomas is a boy with a boundless imagination who knows how to play by himself. He loves to hide. His mother, like all mothers, plays along, searching for him all over the house and pretending not to see him. With each object he picks up, Thomas embarks on a journey—he “flies” to a tropical island, a jungle, the moon… He even sails down the river with his mom.

A book for the youngest readers, featuring a short text and cheerful illustrations filled with details to discover. Perfect for sharing and enjoying with pre-readers.

Reviews

“Where is Thomas?” is a delightful picture book, crafted with meticulous attention to detail by Ediciones Ekaré Sur—from its rounded corners to its format and choice of paper. This is a book to be cherished, read, and reread. In just 124 words and 16 illustrations, Chirif and Salaberria introduce us to the finest elements of children’s literature. Together, they create an expressive richness so profound that its meaning will be different for a 6-year-old child and a 26-year-old mother. In this interpretive space, both will recognize themselves—and both can play.
Vivaleer. COPEC Reading Incentive Program

For young readers, this book is an invitation to discover the power of imagination, to put words to experiences, to recognize familiar situations, and to understand that multiple realities can exist at once.
Biblioabrazo

The delight begins the moment you touch this hardcover book, with its rounded corners, heavyweight coated paper, and vibrant gouache illustrations. Even on the endpapers, the game is already in motion—various plants serve as hiding places for a jaguar, a dinosaur, a unicorn. What else can you find?

This game continues throughout the story: Thomas loves to hide, and his mother is always searching for him. He doesn’t answer—not as a prank, but because, with every hiding spot, his imagination transports him to far-off places and encounters with extraordinary beings.

The illustrations invite readers to identify how elements from Thomas’ real world come to life in his imagined adventures, adding depth to this literary game of hide-and-seek. The book’s high-quality production ensures durability, making it a lasting treasure for young readers—one that is sure to elicit many cries of “Again!” from eager listeners.
UNESCO Chair of Reading PUC-Rio

Links

Where is Thomas? Vivaleer COPEC
http://www.vivaleercopec.cl/2017/01/24/donde-esta-tomas/

The gift of making children’s books
https://cuatrogatos.org/blog/?p=5229

Where is Thomas? Biblioabrazo
https://biblioabrazo.wordpress.com/2016/10/12/donde-esta-tomas-micaela-chirif-y-leire-salaberria/