BODEGA CATS

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.