Suzette and the One-Eyed Cat

K-Gr 2–Suzette, a young Black girl, along with her adoptive mother who is Black and her adoptive father who is white, is traveling to Haiti to meet her biological family for the first time. Suzette is incredibly nervous, has questions about the trip, and experiences a range of emotions as the meeting gets closer and closer. When they arrive at their destination, Suzette is struck by the similarities between herself and her biological mother but is still nervous. She hears the sound of children laughing and wonders if the voices belong to her siblings, causing her to further question why she now lives in San Diego and has two families, while her siblings do not. After the children play together and get to know each other, Suzette begins to appreciate both the differences and similarities among them. Both families then share a meal. The one-eyed cat features only briefly, while the book suffers in its pacing, with word counts ranging between 20 and 140 per page, and Suzette’s questions and concerns never directly addressed. Popova’s eye-catching illustrations feature a vibrant color palette.