But the little dog wasn’t always so familiar with the big city.
She called the project “A Dog A Day Keeps the Stress Away,” and the first dog she drew in January 2018 was, of course, Tobi.
Soon, Cáceres started getting commissioned to draw people’s pets and paint murals for cafes and vet clinics.
Best of all, after more than two years apart, she saved enough to bring Tobi to New York.
In the book, Tobi encounters all kinds of families on his walk: tall families, short families.
One day in August of last year, Tobi, a 15-year-old silky terrier with long whiskers and disheveled brown hair, strolled contentedly with his owner and best friend, Andrea Cáceres, in New York City.
When an ambulance whizzed by with sirens blaring and traffic noises from the nearby street spilled into the neighborhood park, he didn’t bat an eye.
“He’s a real New Yorker,” Cáceres chuckled.
However, it wasn’t always that the small dog knew the big city so well. Hello, Tobi! is a new children’s book by Cáceres that celebrates Tobi’s early park walks after moving to New York.
In Valencia, Venezuela, Tobi was born. Cáceres intended to pursue a career as a civil engineer at the time. “I began drawing while I was studying,” she remarked. “And I began drawing Tobi.”. “.
Cáceres obtained an engineering degree without ever enrolling in an art course, but she continued to work as an artist. Caceres relocated to the US in 2016 as Venezuela’s socioeconomic crisis worsened and he found work as a textile designer.
“I was designing for other people when I came here. She claimed, “I wasn’t taking any action for myself.”. “I didn’t have time for self-care. “.
The worst part was having to leave Tobi behind in Venezuela. She yearned for a creative outlet to support her during all the changes she was going through, and she missed him terribly. She thus embarked on a project in which she would draw a new dog every day for a full year. She named the project “A Dog A Day Keeps the Stress Away,” and Tobi was the first dog she drew in January 2018.
The drawings were successful. Soon, Cáceres began receiving commissions to paint murals for cafes and veterinary clinics and to sketch people’s pets. The best part is that she saved enough money to move Tobi to New York after they had been apart for more than two years. Tobi had to take a flight from Valencia to Caracas, Panama, Miami, and finally New York City, where Cáceres was waiting for him, after his initial flight from Venezuela was canceled.
“He started crying the moment he saw me,” she remembered. “After that, I started crying, and everyone else did too. “..”.
It depicts the time when she first brought Tobi to Harlem. They now reside in Brooklyn.
“The neighborhood is extraordinarily diverse. Cáceres remarked, “You see people from everywhere.”. “You encounter immigrants and New Yorkers. Additionally, Spanish, Tobi’s first language, is widely spoken. “.
During his walk, Tobi meets a variety of families in the book, including short and tall families. Some families prefer to sing or talk together, while others are quiet. There are families that look alike and families that look different. Each of them greets Tobi. According to Cáceres, it’s a straightforward concept, but it holds great personal significance for her.
“I truly made an effort to represent my life. After moving to the U.S., I felt at home. S. . since everyone is unique in some way. Because of the fact that you are unique, you feel like you belong,” she said. “I wanted to demonstrate that it was feasible for everyone to live together and experience community despite their differences. “,”.
Despite greeting everyone in the park, both in real life and in the story, Tobi has a particular fondness for his own family.
“He loves me no matter what,” Cáceres remarked while massaging his abdomen. And I simply always return his love. “,”.
Andrea Cáceres and Tobi then walked back to their homes.
The story’s broadcast and digital versions were edited by Meghan Sullivan.
