The Book of Purrs

Such a cute and lighthearted read! I especially loved it because many of the illustrations reminded me of my little black kitten both in looks and personality. A great pick-me-up kind of book, especially if you're a cat lover.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a free digital ARC of the book to read and leave my honest review.

I’ve been following @purr.in.ink on Instagram since 2019 and I’m a big fan of Luis Coelho’s work. When I saw The Book of Purrs on Net Galley, I pounced on it (like a cat!) without hesitation.

The Book of Purrs features nearly 100 short comics. Some have been shared on Instagram in the past while others are brand new, and all of them are extremely cute. I’ve always loved how ‘paw-sitive’ and encouraging the kitties are, and that definitely extends to the book. There’s a fair bit of variety in the content of the comics with very little repetition. A lot of the comics are motivational, with messages about healing, self-love, and acceptance. Many of them are silly and fun. A couple of them made me emotional.

Of course, the art is phenomenal. If you’re not familiar with Luis Coelho’s work, you should absolutely head over to @purr.in.ink and check out the art you can expect to find in The Book of Purrs. Look at his reels too, because he’s shared videos of the way he draws each cat and it is beyond impressive.

In a letter to the reader at the beginning, Coelho explains that he hopes we will pick up the book and open it to a random page whenever we need a message from a friendly cat. Because I had a digital ARC, I couldn’t easily read it that way, but I think reading it the way Coelho suggests, instead of from start to finish, would be perfect.

I’d like to thank both Net Galley and Andrew’s McMeel Publishing, from whom I received an ARC of The Book of Purrs.

The drawings are of course top notch (I also have some of the plushies!), but I must say they go perfectly with their respective quotes. Some are funny, others are simple yet wise and many are touching and quite relatable (even more if you have and/or know cats!)

It's the kind of book you'll see in your bookcase and take out each time just to read one or a few pages.