Author/illustrator Gwen Tarpley brings us a third volume of the friendly and cute graphic novel series based on her award-winning webcomic. Cat, the owner of the titular café, and co-worker Rabbit welcome all, from the “decidedly different” to the “wonderfully weird” and “softly sweet.”
The amusing, insightful, and affirming comics offer small but important reflections on life, with messages about self-affirmation, making others feel safe to be themselves, learning how to say no and set boundaries, how to ask for help, and to step outside one’s comfort zone, among other things. They also often thoughtfully show us characters unapologetically living with mental health differences, with the support of those around them. Rabbit has anxiety, for example; Snappy the turtle has ADHD, and at one point shares “My Favorite Stims.”
Queer representation is here as well. One panel cheerfully shows “How to Ask for Pronouns” as Cat welcomes a new guest (they/them). Cat, Rabbit, Toad, and Snake are also referred to with they/their pronouns at the start of the book.
The comics unapologetically lean into their cuteness. For some, that might come across as saccharine, but for fans of such an aesthetic, it makes for a recommended title. When you just need to see a world of support, understanding, and friendship, this is what to reach for.
