Chi’s Sweet Home by Konami Kanata and translated by Ed Chavez, is the pawsitively charming story of a kitten who gets distracted when on a walk with his mother and siblings and ends up lost. It’s a big and “fwightening” world for such a little creature, full of barking dogs, roaring cars and wide open spaces.

Distraught and lonely, Chi breaks down sobbing in a large urban park. Luckily, Yohei Yamada and his mother stumble upon the poor kitten and take her home, despite the fact that pets aren’t allowed in their apartment.

And that’s when the fun adventures begin! The Yamadas must keep Chi’s presence a secret from their nosey neighbors, while satisfying the kitten’s needs for affection, food and play. I was particularly amused at the story of how Chi ended up with her name. You’ll have to read this to find out.

As much as I wanted to highlight a book in translation, the words are not the star in this book. In fact, I didn’t particularly like the baby talk used to represent the kitten’s first impressions upon her new environment, but I have to concede that it was an appropriate choice. Chi is a baby, after all!

What really shines are Kanata Konami’s brilliant illustrations that express the unbounded curiosity and playfulness of her subject. The kitten’s sweet “purrsonality” shines through each and every panel. If you are as enthralled with cats as I am, I guarantee you will adore this book.

Konami Kanata (jp. こなみ かなた, Kanata Konami; born 3 July 1958, Nagano) is a Japanese cartoonist best known for her cat characters Chi’s Sweet Home.
Her works revolves around the daily life of house cats.