All Are Welcome

Cat's Café #3

by Gwen Tarpley

Join Cat, Rabbit, Penguin, and the rest of the team in this delightful new comic collection for middle grade readers! All are Welcome offers young readers delightful comics full of friendship and fun. 

According to the School Library Journal, Cat Cafe "makes you feel good because it’s a place where you are accepted, no matter who you are or how you feel."

The comic book equivalent of a cozy blanket, Cat’s Café takes you by the hand and carefully guides you away from all the darkness in life. Freeing the warm and floofies within, Cat’s Café offers a world that understands you. In this new comic collection for middle grade readers, fans will find new levels cuteness, heartwarming moments, and learn more about their favorite characters. Along with the familiar stories of mental health and friendship that Cat’s Café is known for, author Gwen Tarpley also uses characters like Rabbit to share her most authentic self with the world. So, grab your favorite mug and brew, and sip, laugh, and cheer as you curl up with the newest installment of Cat’s Café.  

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mental Health, Comics, Humor, Fiction, Fantasy, Animals

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2025

About the author

Gwen Tarpley is a graphic artist and the creator of the popular webcomic Cat's Cafe. The series has been celebrated for its sensitive exploration of mental-health issues. Gwen uses Cat's Cafe to translate complex emotions into small cups of joy.

Reviews

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cat's Cafe books are always so sweet, and this might have been my favorite yet! It gave me so many squishy feelings and I loved it. ♥

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

———

You can also find my reviews on…
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[AquaMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huzzah!! A new Cat's Cafe book!!

I can't even accurately express how much I adore this author/artist's books, but I'm SO happy they published another! I love the warm and fuzzy vibe reading them leaves me with. It's what I reach for when I need a boost, and I hope Gwen publishes many, many more! Like Penguin with coffee, I can't seem to get enough!

Five Mugs (stars) ☕☕☕☕☕


p.s. This cafe needs to be a real place!

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute!!

[LIZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang it Cat...you did it again. :....)

[Diana Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute, relatable for those who struggle with self-esteem, anxiety, depression, etc. Didn't love this installment as much as I did Cat's Cafe #1 & #2, but did mostly enjoy the sweet comics.

Bring back the deaf character who uses sign language from book #1! :)

Thanks to Edelweiss & the publisher for the ARC. Publication date July 29, 2025.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Are Welcome
A Cat’s Cafe, Book 3

I Picked Up This Book Because: Random choice.

Media Type: eBook
Source: Hoopla via HC Public Library
Dates Read: 9/16/25 - 9/19/25
Rating: 4.5 Stars


The Story:

This cute and cozy cafe is so fun, so relatable and so supportive. I really want to visit.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone is welcome at Cat’s Café! In this third book in the series, follow all your favorite characters in a series of touching, heartwarming, funny, and relatable comics! It’s hard to feel left out when reading this because there will always be at least a couple comics that are relatable!

This time around, I was really excited to see some Halloween comics as well as cryptids making their way into the cast of characters! Whether you’re looking for something fun and relatable or just seriously adorable, the cast of characters will be happy to welcome you in. I’m excited to see where Gwen Tarpley takes these characters next, and if we’ll see more cryptids in the future!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As adorable as the other two books in the series, with honest, gentle depictions of mental health and kindness in general. New animal and creature additions, too, like goblin 😊

[Suhasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

supa wholesome!

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love. It’s so sweet and inclusive 🥹

[Meg]

This is really cute, but I'm not sure how many middle grade readers will relate to hiding in your car from work.

[Ayushi Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Are Welcome: A Cat's Café Collection by Gwen Tarpley

You would have heard of cat cafes but have you heard of a café run by a cat? Well, you’re in for a wholesome surprise with this graphic novel by Gwen Tarpley. A warm and cosy café is run by Cat and Bunny where everyone is welcome from far and wide! Everyone is going through something or the other, a lot of insecurities, pressure and sometimes just existential crisis, but helping each other out and giving words of assurances pulls everyone out of their mess!

I loved the beautiful artwork. The characters all have unique traits, the metaphors are hilarious and on point and every page will bring a smile on your face! This is a great gifting option!

This will be available on Kindle on July 29, 2025! Look out for it!

Thank you so much to @andrews for the advanced DRC!

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Opossum’s word search is solvable, found “hello” towards the beginning of it as well as the intended words of “love yourself” and some other words like bunny & rabbit.

I specifically picked this up because I needed something to help with that odd mix of excited and anxious and now I’m crying about the loss of Cat’s dad. The page about emotional strength where Cat helps Rabbit and says there’s strength in “knowing how to let yourself feel” is so valuable and then to have Rabbit reciprocate a few pages later is so well done.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these characters. Another one that I follow on Instagram. A lot of these really hit me in the feels, both happiness and sadness. I think I need to get my own copy. The full page art pieces are just stunning.

[Meg Line · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet comic series

[Ed Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute, warm, and lovely, a genuine cup of tea for the soul. The moment I finished Cat's Cafe I wanted to read it again and spend more time in that cozy world with those characters.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review being submitted to School Library Journal for an upcoming SMS article.

[Keara Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

very cute

[Grace Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

these books are always the absolute CUTEST, and this one couldn't have come at a better time

now, when can i visit cat's cafe?

[Madi · Rating 5 out of 5]

reading this book felt like receiving a warm hug

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat is back, serving up tasty hot beverages and gentle friendship as a healing balm to reality in All Are Welcome. Cat’s Cafe is a place where everyone is welcome and no one is judged. It’s a place to recover from anxiety and hang out with friends.

All your favorite friends are back, Cat and Rabbit, Penguin, Toad, Snake, Kiwi, and now there’s even a Mothman. And they all have their issues. They struggle with shyness, fear, social anxiety, insecurity. sadness, self-criticism. But at Cat’s Cafe, there is warmth and comfort, acceptance and support.

Cat and friends teach important lessons for self-care, like letting go when you’re feeling overwhelmed, how it’s okay to feel your feelings, how to make others feel special just by being there and listening, and the importance of setting boundaries.

These gentle comics celebrate small victories and good days, authentic interactions and self-care. The illustrations are bright and inviting, and there is a peacefulness running through it from beginning to end.

I have been a fan of Cat’s Cafe comics for years. I haven’t been in the recommended age group (8-12) for a very long time, but I still enjoy these small stories of friendship and empathy. I find Cat’s Cafe soothing and healing, and I think other adults who struggle with anxiety and overthinking will also find some relief in these pages.

I do wish I’d had a book like this as a kid. I think it would have helped give me some tools to help with my anxiety and maybe to be a better friend. I could have used the help then, so I’m very happy that kids today have Cat’s Cafe as a place to go to for rest, support, and information on dealing with their fears and struggles. This would make an ideal gift for any kid who struggles with feeling different, or who has trouble making friends. All Are Welcome is a soothing hot beverage in a cold world, and I am grateful for having the chance to visit the cafe again.

Egalleys for All Are Welcome were provided by Andrews McMeel through Edelweiss, with many thanks, but I liked it so much I bought my own Kindle copy.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Are Welcome was another fun collection of Cat's Café comics following Cat and all of his friends.

This book is the third collection of Cat's Café comics and features familiar characters as well as some new ones. The author seamlessly blends the new with the old and focuses on stories about mental health and friendship.

The art style of the Cat's Café series is one of my favorites and I love the bright, colorful illustrations. Each animal is unique in their own way and the author manages to capture their different personalities so well. This volume included a few new characters but I have to say my favorites continue to be Hyena with their little Duckie friend and Kiwi. The theme of friendship that was present in the first two collections was also a big part of this one as well as a focus on mental health and how important it is to take care of yourself.

Overall All Are Welcome was a great read and I will definitely be picking up any future collections of the comics.

**I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

Absolutely fantastic! Heartwarming, silly, fun, empathetic, and warm. Another wonderful collection from Tarpley. The loveable cast of Cat's Café returns along with some sweet new additions to the mix.

I absolutely adore the cozy world Tarpley has created. It's such a wonderful place filled with acceptance, joy, and love. Hardships and troubles exist, but the cast of supportive characters help out friends and strangers alike.

This volume includes topics of anxiety, identity, overstimulation, setting boundaries, and feeling your feelings. Also includes cute, fun stories about autumn, Halloween, gaming, and of course coffee.

The artwork is so adorable. I really enjoy the character designs and art style.

A great collection to revisit again and again whenever you need a little pick-me-up.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from Andrews McMeel Publishing through Edelweiss+.
Though this is the third in the Cat's Cafe books, it can easily be read as a stand alone. Tarpley's characters each have their own issues and together, they nurture each other and accept each other. Readers get a brief introduction to each of them before the book begins so are aware when they meet them. The loving atmosphere permeates both the text and the artwork - even when characters don't feel this about themselves. Readers will see themselves somewhere in these pages and appreciate the community being built. A delight for readers of all ages as it can be appreciated at both light and deeper levels.

[Dominic Sedillo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of they/them cartoon animals. The author/illustrator really seemed to double down on the whole pronoun thing in this volume which makes me very uneasy as this seems like it’s relatively for kids.

Otherwise like the other volumes; I enjoyed it. It’s basically similar to the Peanuts in that these characters seem to have very adult problems and their identities are siloed to one trait (i.e. anxiety, grumpiness, depression, etc).

It’s worth a read if you liked the others. However if you’re not into the whole cartoon-animals-are-gender-fluid thing then I’d skip it. This actually might be the last volume I read as a result; that stuff makes me uncomfortable in kids directed stuff.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

couldn't ask for anything better! the perfect combination of cute artwork, relatable little stories, and content that both feels easy to understand for all audiences and that still maintains the bright overall feeling. there's such great neurodiversity and representation for, well, all who are welcome, and every comic felt like a warm hug, even ones dealing with grief or healing your inner child. the full page artwork between was so pretty too, and I loved all the designs for the animal characters. this author really caught my attention! I'll be back for more cat's cafe books for sure.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expect sweet scenes from this adorable comic collection all about friendship and acceptance. The bright colors and cute cartoon characters will delight readers. Heartwarming moments of self-love and community care abound. Many of the comics are amusing, with the occasional use of punny dialog. Other scenes are more serious, usually focusing on topics of taking care of your mental well-being. Perfect for fans of Dinos and Comics or Strange Planet.

I was provided an ARC of this by Edelweiss.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free digital ARC from Andrews McMeel Publishing via Edelweiss. Both my tween son and I were both super excited to get our hands on an advanced copy of this 3rd collection of Cat’s Café comics. They are so warm, cute and heartfelt. They depict strong emotions about mental health and friendship in subtle colorful panels. We will continue to devour and revisit these collections as they come out. Thank you for making these characters available.

[Jaxine Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I follow it on webtoonz as well, but the published books always have extra scenes and can I just say Gwen has done amazing with the art as always but the nature scenes she included is honestly great. The characters are always cute and relatable and bring awareness to mental health to the reader.

[Ava Courtney Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Warm Cup of Cute

These comics are as welcoming as a favorite coffee shop and as comforting as a kind friend. They embrace neurodiversity and are gender inclusive, too, so everyone can find a comic to relate to and smile at.

Personally, I'm here for a cup of Kiwi!