 Illustrated by: Siara Faison Join us in celebrating the book birthday of Bodega Cats: Just Kitten Around by Hilda Burgos! Read on to enjoy our conversation with Hilda about her new project. Hilda, please tell us a little about Bodega Cats Bodega Cats: Just Kitten Around is an illustrated middle grade story written in alternating points of view—ten-year-old Yesenia and her newly adopted kitten, Candy. Everyone thinks Yesenia has it all under control, but she’s struggling to keep up with her three perfect overachieving older sisters. When one bad grade threatens to expose just how stressed she’s been lately, Yesi will lean on her kitten for comfort. But all Candy can think about is adventure. When Candy escapes and gets lost in New York City, she realizes maybe the big open world isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Can Yesenia and Candy help each other find a way out of feeling so lost? How fun! Now, let's talk about you. What inspired you to become a writer? Even though I was born in the U.S. and never lived anywhere else, I learned to speak English when I started school. And I loved school! There was so much to learn, and a lot of that knowledge could be found in books. I grew up in an apartment in New York City, catty-corner from the local public library. My sisters and I spent a lot of time in the library, especially during the summer. We didn’t go away on vacation or to camp, but we traveled through books. I learned about different places and people by reading, and it was wonderful! I especially enjoyed losing myself in a good book, immersed in the different ways language could be used to build a world and entertain. I wanted to do that too. And I wanted to tell stories that I didn’t find in my local library, about kids like me, who were bilingual, lived in a big city, and had immigrant parents. Where did you get the idea to write this particular story? This is the second book in a three-book series. The broad idea of three stories about three different bodega owners’ kids and their newly adopted cats was given to me by my editor when she approached me and asked if I would write these books. While I was writing the first book in the series (Bodega Cats: Picture Purrfect), I created the character of Yesenia as the cousin of the main character in the first book. I am one of four sisters, so I gave Yesenia sisters as well. I was always a pretty serious kid, so I gave that personality to Yesenia as well. I decided I wanted Yesenia to be the main character of the second book, and I wanted to match her with a cat that would be her opposite and help her loosen up a bit. The book is about family, community, and going outside of our comfort zones to find friends and experiences that are different and new, and help us grow. What was your favorite part of the publication process with this story? I loved seeing the illustrations come together. Unlike a picture book, where some of the story is told through the illustrations, this story is told entirely through words, but the illustrations are very important to support and bolster the story. The illustrator, Siara Faison, used her unique style to draw heartwarming characters, each with their own personality, thus really bringing them to life. She also did a great job illustrating the pages of Yesenia’s crochet notebook, which are a crucial part of the story. It was wonderful to see all the pieces of this book come together and form a complete and cohesive story. What comes next for you as an author? As I mentioned before, this is the second in a three-book series. The third and last book in the series will be released in July of this year. In the meantime, I am dabbling with a few drafts of other projects—some picture books and also a new middle grade novel. Hopefully, I will have more concrete news later! What 3 recommendations would you give writers who are starting out? First, write what you love. I see a lot of beginning writers asking what’s “publishable” these days. Don’t worry about that. Publishing trends come and go, but well-written stories with heart never go out of style. Second, be patient with yourself. If you don’t get a lot of writing done today, don’t worry about it; there’s always tomorrow. And, third, be patient with others. The publishing world moves at a glacial pace, and everyone in the business seems to be extremely busy. So, when you send out a query, don’t pull out your hair sitting around waiting for a reply. Just keep writing. Oh, and one more bonus recommendation: remember to have fun!  In addition to writing the Bodega Cats series, Hilda Eunice Burgos is the author of the middle grade novels Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle and Miosotis Flores Never Forgets, and the picture book The Cot in the Living Room.
She also contributed to the middle grade anthology Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors. Hilda is the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic; she was born and raised in New York City, and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School. She works as a lawyer in the Philadelphia area, where she and her husband raised their two grown children, and where they live with their adorable dog, Bear. Find Hilda at hildaeuniceburgos.com Connect with Hilda: Twitter (X): HildaEBurgos1 Instagram: heuniceburgos Facebook: Hilda.Burgos.12 Bluesky: hildaeburgos Comments are closed.
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