A series of familiar people and objects leads the brown-skinned narrator through their afternoon routine in this cheerful story. Running down the steps after school, the child is greeted by their mom and dogs. “I see PEPPER / Next to PEANUT / Next to MAMA!” Walking home through their urban neighborhood, the child observes big and small details. Looking down, they see a chalk drawing next to tiny plants in the sidewalk cracks, and in the sky there’s “a PUFFY CLOUD / Next to an AIRPLANE.” Childlike descriptors are used (“spinny clothes” at the laundromat, “big kids” playing basketball, the “big hole” of a construction site), and occasional happy exclamations break up the list of sights (“Let’s go!” “We’re home!” “Yum!”). When they get home, there’s Papa cooking dinner (“BROCCOLI / Next to NOODLES / Next to DUMPLINGS”). Then it’s time for bath and a bedtime story, where “cozy in my bed / I feel SOFT / Next to SOFT / Next to SOFT.” Colorful, appealing paint-and-collage illustrations depict an after-school routine that will be recognizable to many readers.