Just Kitten Around

April 29, 2024
Burgos (The Cot in the Living Room) centers the relationship between a stray cat and a Dominican American boy who loves to draw in this family-oriented series opener about the bonds that make life sweet. On a cold winter night, Miguel Rosado rescues a hungry black-and-white cat outside of Blanca y Roja Bodega, his family’s Washington Heights store.
Urging from elderly Tío Diego (“Doesn’t Miguel need a pet? Especially since the poor child doesn’t have any siblings”) prompts Mami and Papi to reluctantly allow Miguel to keep the cat, which he names Lolo. Lolo happily settles in as the bodega’s mouser and runs off feline interlopers, and Miguel decorates his litterbox with drawings. He even creates comic books about Lolo despite Mami and Papi’s protests that art is a waste of time. Miguel soon tricks his parents into permitting him to join an art club rather than the after-school science club they’d prefer, but his subterfuge ends in near disaster. Faison’s cozy illustrations, depicting Miguel, Lolo, and the surrounding community, buoy this lively portrayal of the many forms that bravery, kindness, and connection can take. Ages 7–10.

December 15, 2024
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, Ni�a 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)

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December 1, 2024
Grades 2-5 The second book in the Bodega Cats series focuses on Yesenia and her cat, Candy. Having three overachieving sisters and Dominican parents with high expectations leaves fifth-grader Yesenia feeling overwhelmed and anxious. To mitigate the anxiety, her pediatrician recommends that Yesenia get a pet, something to care for and love. As luck would have it, Yesenia's aunt and uncle have kittens to give away at their bodega. �Vamos! The cat Yesenia picks and names Candy proves to be an unruly handful, to her parents' dismay; however, all their scolding results in Candy running away. Chapters alternate between Yesenia's and Candy's perspectives, and Burgos deals with realistic situations with gentle humor and tenderness. This slim chapter book will work well for independent readers ready for more text, but the fifth-grade protagonist also makes it appealing to those who may be reading below grade level. Spanish phrases are sprinkled throughout, as are grayscale chapter illustrations that provide an adorable portrayal of Yesenia's world. A sweet, relatable series.

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