Dear Mayor Grump, All Cats Welcome

Dear Mayor Grump, All Cats Welcome is a tender picture book about belonging, patience, and the quiet ways care is practiced every day.

Told as a heartfelt letter to a grumpy mayor who believes there are too many cats, the story gently explains why the cats matter. Some arrive and stay for years. Others appear briefly and move on. Each one, however, leaves something behind, reminding the narrator that welcoming others is not about perfection, but about attention, kindness, and making room.

Inspired by real cats who passed through the author's yard, this story encourages young readers to observe acts of welcome and caring, and how these small gestures build community. The yard itself is imperfect and always changing, yet it becomes a place of connection simply because someone is willing to pay attention.

Written in spare, lyrical language, Dear Mayor Grump, All Cats Welcome is designed to be read aloud and revisited often. While created for children, the story is intentionally layered for the adults who read alongside them, opening the door for gentle conversations about empathy, responsibility, and what it means to belong.

With warm illustrations and a reflective tone, this book offers reassurance to children who notice when someone new arrives or when someone is gone. It reminds readers that belonging is not something we grant once, but something we practice again and again.

This title is the first book in The Welcome Yard series, stories inspired by real animals and real moments, where every arrival matters and every place can become a place of welcome.

Also available in Spanish - Querido Alcalde Gruñón: Todos Los Gatos Son Bienvenidos.