In the lively young middle-grade chapter book Bodega Cats: Picture Purrfect by Hilda Eunice Burgos and debut illustrator Siara Faison, a fifth grader interested in comic book illustration rescues a street cat and raises him in his family's bodega.
Miguel and his Dominican American family live in New York City's Washington Heights, in an apartment above the family market. When a feline newcomer arrives, Miguel rescues the street cat and names him Lolo. Miguel and Lolo narrate alternating chapters about their challenges as they adjust to their new shared life. For Miguel, his mami and papi want him to be an engineer, but he longs to join the school art club and become an artist. Since his parents consider art a waste of time, Miguel lies to them and joins the club secretly. At the same time, Lolo, who is learning to trust his adoptive family, is attacked by wild cats when trying to protect a pregnant street cat. While Dr. Gómez, a kind vet, cares for the cats, Miguel's troubles are bit more complicated to solve.
Burgos (Ana María Reyes Does NOT Live in a Castle) writes humorously about the community where she grew up and its busy streets and small family-owned stores. Miguel's narration is genuine and accessible while Lolo's is full of street-kitty bravado and sweet softness. Faison's grayscale spot drawings depict the story's events through almost aggressively cute illustrations; in a different, naive style, she creates comic panels drawn by Miguel that feature Lolo's adventures as Super Cat. A series opener perfect for young fans of comics, cats, and cities. --Melinda Greenblatt, freelance book reviewer