Dumpling Cats: Crochet and Collect Them All! by Sarah Sloyer

Remember Neko Atsume? Last year, I was really into Neko Atsume. I was a full time student working full time, and tending to my adorable little zen garden of cats was a nice way of relaxing between work and school. I don't have time to play it anymore, but I remember the cute game with fondness. When DUMPLING CATS showed up on Netgalley, it didn't even matter that I don't know how to crochet - all I needed to see was "inspired by Neko Atsume" in the summary, and I was like, "SOLD!"

If you're at all familiar with amigurumi, you have an idea of what the patterns in DUMPLING CATS look like. They are stuffed plushies made out of crocheted yarn. In DUMPLING CATS, Sloyer has a rather large array of cats you can create, with the beginner patterns pictured on the cover to the more difficult patterns, like a cat wearing a bee outfit, a cat wearing a flower around her neck, a witch cat, a lion cat, and even a little lady bug cat. She even provides instructions for accessories, like food bowls and a cardboard box. Are they all adorable? Oh, yes. If someone gave one of these little buddies to me, they would automatically be granted BFF-status. (Was that a hint? Maybe.) I don't know how to crochet, but man, I want to learn now. It comes with color illustrations illustrating some of the directions (written out step-by-step). I was reading them to see how easy picking up crocheting would be. Without trying out the crafts myself, I can't say for 100% certain, but it seems like the instructions are pretty clear.

Looking at this adorable book cheered me right up. I think it would be a great gift for people who like to crochet and knit. I actually put DUMPLING CATS on the Goodreads "Kawaii Culture" list - a GR list about Japanese and Japanese-inspired "kawaii" books, ranging from cute bento to cute arts and crafts to adorable manga. If you're into Neko Atsume, amigurumi, or cats, you should definitely read this book (and check out some of the other titles on my list for further reading). It's fun and it's cute. Need I say more? <3

Thanks to the publisher/Netgalley for the review copy

3 out of 5 stars