From the Publisher
"A meow-velous tale laced with meditations on family and identity." —Kirkus
"This diverse, well-rounded series is recommended for all collections." —School Library Journal
"[For] all readers of middle-grade stories." —The Dominican Writers Association
Praise for Bodega Cats: Picture Purrfect
A Bank St. Center for Children's Literature Best Book of 2025
A 2025 CBC Children’s Favorites Winner
A 2025 CBC Librarian Favorites Winner
An Amazon Best Children's Book of 2024
A 2024 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
A Publishers Weekly Best of Summer 2024 Read
A 2026 Oklahoma Library Association Sequoyah Masterlist Nominee
"[A] lively portrayal of the many forms that bravery, kindness, and connection can take." —Publishers Weekly
"A series opener perfect for young fans of comics, cats, and cities." —Shelf Awareness
"Paw-sitively charming." —Kirkus
"A warm tale that embraces, sings, purrs and never lets go! Bodega Cats reminds us home is wherever a friend can be found!" —Julian Randall, author of Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa
"A warm hug of a book. Readers will fall in love with Miguel and Lolo." —Nina Moreno, author of the Maggie Diaz series
Kirkus Reviews
2024-11-09
A young girl riddled with anxieties adopts an energetic kitten.
Yesenia worries about the recent D she got on a social studies test, and she wishes she had more time to spend crocheting. Unfortunately, she can’t confide in her strong-willed parents, immigrants from the Dominican Republic who won’t tolerate anything that threatens the family’s “straight-A streak.” Yesenia’s cousin Miguel’s cat, Lolo, has just had a litter of kittens (Miguel and Lolo starred in the first series installment), and per her doctor’s orders, Yesenia soon adopts one to destress a bit. But the mischievous little yellow furball—named Candy—claws the curtains at home and wreaks havoc at her parents’ store, Niña Rosada Bodega. Mami and Papi’s threat to get rid of Candy looms over Yesenia as she struggles to balance obligations at school and at home, making some questionable choices along the way. Can Yesenia find her voice and convince her family to embrace her for who she is? Meanwhile, roguish Candy wants freedom to explore the world, but she quickly discovers that independence comes at a cost. Like its predecessor, this tale set in New York City explores familiar themes—the weight of parental expectations in immigrant families, finding the courage to be oneself—in a lighthearted package; chapters switch between Yesenia’s and Candy’s first-person perspectives. Returning characters add much to the community-building, reinforced through Faison’s lively, family-oriented illustrations.
A meow-velous tale laced with meditations on family and identity.(Fiction. 7-10)
