Member Reviews

Matt Tarpley has created a wonderfully inclusive and caring world of characters that are all so adorable!! So many of the short comics are relatable and this title is a perfect pick-me-up book! I can see this selling well off counter displays!

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This book is a sample of how powerful illustration can be for the transmission of important messages. The interactions between a cat, a rabbit and the other animals that are clients of Cat's cafe lead us to think about empathy, mental health, respect for differences and the relevance of thinking about the other. Community.

I'm in love with Kiwi 😍

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I was not able to download this, so I had to wait until I was able to get hold of a copy once it had been published.

This book is adorable - the characters are so cute and I love the colour palette used it's so soothing.

It's sweet and a quick read, but not necessarily my sense of humour. It made me smile, but it wasn't a laugh out loud comic like I expected.

The comics are mostly set in a cat cafe which is visited by a range of creatures. Some of the comics are just random observations, but some do go deeper touching on mental health issues. For the right reader, this book would be a great comfort.

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Cat is the most adorable character everrrrrrrrr.
I did not expect this buttttt this book wasn't only cute but so sensitive about mental health, which is an important topic nowadays. I have anxiety and I couldn't appreciate more this book.
My heart was filled with love after reading this book

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This comic with an adorable cast of animals revolves around the daily goings on at Cat’s Cafe. I loved how seamlessly it brought in each character’s personality traits and disabilities and mental health and showed how all the animals coexist and help each other out. More inclusive comics like this please! I can’t decide if my favorite character was the caffeine addicted Penguin or the nervous Bunny trying to learn the fast paced cafe job <3

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*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!*

At first I thought this was just going to be a wholesome, lighthearted and cute comic collection with adorable animal characters. And I mean... it was.

But then sometimes it would dig deeper, and cover more sensitive topics. But even if it did cover more hard stuff and hit me in the feels, it was still one of those books that truely did feel like a safe space to me and would wrap me in a hug. What really hit me about this book was the way in which it handled anxiety and other mental illness, with rabbit as one of the characters, and other topics. I personally saw myself in rabbit and hyena A LOT, and it made me cry seeing the other animals being so sweet, wholesome and supportive. This comic collection will definitely stay with me for a long time.

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Really cute! I did not know the web comic before, but now I'm following on Instagram! Everyday a funny illustration is coming out. I love the colors, the characters and the story is really cute!

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This is such a good and wholesome comic. I really loved reading it. It was the perfect pick-me-up that was also a fairly quick read. The characters gave me so much serotonin and I absolutely loved all of them. I love all of the positive messages and how the comic feels like such a safe space. There were many deep messages found in this comic that were portrayed in a lighthearted almost kiddish way. But the more you read the more you realized it has muessages for all ages even though it may come across as a kid comic.

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This was a really up little comic series that touched bases on real life mental health issues that are so relatable to many. The pictures of the characters where so cute and colorful. It was a fast and easy read. I look forward to reading more of the authors material in the future. PS its cats, who doesn't love any story line that involves cats, that is what made the story even more entertaining.

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*received for free from netgalley for honest review* ONG how cute I NEED this book! Everything is just so adorable and ive never come across a book with all of my favorite animals :0!!! Will need to buy bc this is just the cutest thing ive read in like ever.

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Cat’s Cafe is a happy place. Cat serves coffee along with kindness, acceptance, and emotional support for every creature who comes through the door. The cast of characters in this delightful book of comics come to life with whimsical colors and genuine personalities. Rabbit is nervous serving customers in the cafe. Penguin is there often, a true lover of coffee. Gator is a little shy but a really good artist. Snake understands that he looks scary, but underneath that he just wants friends. And there are so many more animals in the village.

The comics in Cat’s Cafe cover a broad range of topics, loneliness, anxiety, stress, friendship, and depression. These characters are there for each other, supporting each other, accepting each other for who they are, and bringing out the best in each other. The gentle humor and overall warmth of Cat’s Cafe make it a lovely, healing, relaxing place to be.

When I first started reading this book, I thought it would be a fun way to spend some time, a light read to take me out of the stress of the day. And it was. But it was so much more than that. These characters were so generous with each other, so loyal and encouraging, that my heart and soul were lifted. The more I read, the more I wanted to buy several copies and wrap them off and send them to anyone I know who struggles with anxiety or depression, or who is just going through a difficult time. Cat’s Cafe is simply the place I want to be right now.

Author/illustrator Matt Tarpley clearly understands the emotional life of an anxious human. He not only understands the emotions, he can express them through his characters, and he can use the other characters in that comic to demonstrate the best, kindest way to respond. These comics could be seen as a vibrantly fun masterclass in communicating difficult emotions. This could be a perfect way to teach individuals, young and old, how to talk about their own feelings as well as how to empathize with others. That’s the genius of Cat’s Cafe. It seems so innocent, so adorable, and then you’re crying because there is a sudden and powerful truth that shakes you to your core.

I loved this book so much, and I highly recommend Cat’s Cafe to anyone going through a hard time who could use supportive words from adorable, colorful animals who love each other and coffee. Which, I think, is everyone at some point in their lives. Buy it for your kids, but make sure to read it yourself too. It’s worth your time.

Galleys for Cat’s Cafe were provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley, with many thanks.

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I truly didn't expect this book to be full of insights on mental heath, but was delightfully surprised to find out it was! Cat's Cafe explores the lives of the cast of characters who frequent Cat's Cafe. This collection is sure to bring a smile to your face.

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3.5 stars out of 5.

This book is a collection of mini-comics about a town of cute animals who love coffee and deal with mental issues with the help of their friends. Its presentation is clean and cute, with a generally soft color scheme and easy-to-follow panels. The story stars a supportive cat who runs the titular cafe, an anxiety-ridden rabbit, a lonely snake, a philosophizing duck, a very cute kiwi, and many other characters all united by their love of coffee and visits to Cat's Cafe. There are plenty of just cute and wholesome stories in here, plenty of stories based around coffee, and plenty of amusing bits. Some of the visual gags in particular were quite good. There's also a few more heavy bits talking about issues like anxiety, loneliness, and depression, but there's usually a wholesome ending to these, or some sort of advice on how to handle these issues. It's an impressive variety, considering I initially thought this was going to be a purely cuteness-focused book.
Overall, it's a cute comic collection with a bit of bite to it. It's sure to be relatable for any adult readers, but I think kids would enjoy this one as well. If the concept or presentation has you interested, it's actually a webcomic, so you can check it out online first.

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I hadn't seen this comic prior to reading this book but I like what I read. There's humor and heart in equal measure, with each animal representing a different insecurity or social issue. An enjoyable read that should hold up to repeat reading.

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This graphic novel is a collection of web comics and it is ABSOLUTELY adorable. Cat owns a cafe as the title implies and the comics follow Cat as well as a whole host of animals. The cafe and the whole comic is a safe-space for all animals and readers and deals with depression and loneliness in a warm, feel good, and wholesome way. The animals are cute and hilarious and I absolute felt warm and fuzzy after.

There is a penguin with a coffee addiction that is hilarious and all too relatable for me. He is over the top obsesses and it is very fun. The other animals all have some sort of ailment or issue, there is a lonely snake an emotional hyena, an anxious rabbit. They are all adorably drawn but the comics cover important issues and is deeper than you would expect. This is just want I needed as a pick me up.

I think that this book would be great for just about anyone, especially those that enjoy cute animals, safe spaces, and coffee.

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I didn't think that I would be <strong>crying over cute animal comics</strong>, yet here we are 😭 I picked up Cat's Café because I was in the mood for a nice comic to read in one sitting but I hadn't anticipated how much I would end up loving it! I fell head over heels in love with the story and quickly got deeply<strong> emotionally attached to the journey of all the animals</strong> 🥰 I hadn't even known that this was originally a webcomic, so I went into the story completely blind and was surprised that I loved it so much - so now I'll definitely keep an eye on the webcomic for sure. Please someone take me out of this reality and into the magical Cat Café!! 🐱

<b>The story centers around the Cat's Café, set in an animal town, and follows the resident's everyday adventures!</b> ➽ The whole setup was amazing as I quickly fell in love with the Café led by Cat (all animals are called by their species name) and how it was a <strong>safe space for all the other animals</strong> living in the town and a way for them to connect with each other. The <strong>sense of community and friendship</strong> was warming my heart, as everyone is trying to help each other out and there for support if needed. Reading the book made me want to travel to the Café myself to enjoy a hot cup of coffee with Cat and her friends 😥 The setting just feels so cozy and combines two of my favorite things ever: coffee and cute animals.

<b>I loved all the characters so much</b> ➽ As the collection goes on we get to know several animals that frequent the coffee shop and what their daily life looks like. I loved getting these little<strong> slice of life moments</strong>, as the comic itself doesn't have a big overarching storyline. However, the animals have their own emotional, personal journeys so I didn't mind that there wasn't a big plotline. I was content to follow the animals from day to day and apart from that, we did get some themes, like different seasons. I loved <strong>Cat</strong> the most, as they always tried to make everyone comfortable and poured their heart and soul into making the coffee shop a meeting space for all the fellow animals. I also really related to <strong>Rabbit</strong>, as they were very anxious and overwhelmed with a new situation yet bravely took on the job as a new barista. There were so many more amazing animal characters like the coffee addicted Penguin, the insecure Snake who dreams of becoming more and Owl who loves knowledge. I began to care greatly for all of them, especially as there was a <strong>big emphasis on friendship</strong> and making sure no one felt alone! 💕

<b>I loved the wholesome and positive messages about mental health and self-care!</b> ➽ The general story tone was amazing, it was part funny and witty, part positive and encouraging, and also part sad but honest. I loved how the story talked about <strong>what living with anxiety and depression felt like</strong> and how it can be difficult to accept help even though your friends are there to support you. I especially related to the worry and existential dread that Rabbit went through. I loved how the creator included mental health representation in this wholesome comic. There was so much <strong>focus on believing in yourself and taking care of your mind and body</strong>, even though it sometimes can be hard. All the messages felt so genuine and came across as encouraging and honest 😭💗

<strong>IN CONCLUSION.</strong ➽ <i>Cat's Café </i>is an incredibly <strong>wholesome and positive comic collection</strong> set at a lovely café in an animal town following the adventures of the residents. I loved how it touched upon <strong>friendship, mental health, and believing in yourself</strong> - all the messages felt genuine and therefore had a big impact on me! If you need a comforting read definitely check out this comic 😍

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I've been following Matt Tarpley on Instagram (@catccafecomics) for about a month now and his work has kept me sane during the lockdown.
Cat's Cafe: A Comics Collection is a series of really sweet and wholesome comics. Here we have a penguin who has a coffee problem, anxious rabbit, supportive cat and so many more! Even if the comics may seem a bit silly at first, they are really relatable and sweet. We all have a friend that has to have 5 cups of coffee just to function, we all have a friend that's supportive no matter what. We all feel anxious sometimes and these comics are a great reminder to breathe and have a laugh from time to time.

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I really love it!!!
Those little animals are great!! So cute and possitive drawings that make you smile!!!
I hope to find it soon in Spanish!!!

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Cat's Cafe is the most adorable, heartwarming comic that I absolutely need in my life right now. Look, 2020 hasn't been great, so why not take your mind off things by reading a lovely comic about a cat who runs a cafe with their friend, the rabbit, Penguin, their best customer who might love coffee just a little too much, and a whole cast of adorable critters. This comic is so uplifting and positive, it warmed my cold dead heart. I need to know more of Cat's cafe and all of Cat's friends.

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This is so wholesome and I'm so glad I got to read it. It gave me so much comfort during these difficult times, I advise everyone to read it, it will make you smile.

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