Reading on Repeat with Kids: The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please

Because once is not enough!

This RoR pick was discovered at a bookstore and then ordered in a recent library haul. It has become one of our absolute favourite picture books for so many reasons! It’s playful, enchanting, and grotesque all at once. The characters are original. It’s based in the woods. And it rhymes! We love a rhyming book in our house. I find this picture book gets better and better with every read.

The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please.

Rene and Glumfoot are a charming, original duo that try to tailor their café menu to the outrageous and disgusting requests of their first customer, an ogre. This was the first time we had read about an ogre. We’ve read books about dragons, monsters, dinosaurs, and ghosts. But this was the first ogre. My son thought that the ogre was silly and fun, and was fascinated by his appearance. He loves the wonky eyes and funky fingers.

Both my husband and I make a deep, gurgling voice for the ogre, especially when reading about the pickled BATS! Which is a lot of fun.

The illustrations are engaging and there are lots of hidden nuances and details in the food, menu, and setting. Especially on one of the final pages when all the magical forest creatures are eating in the café. Are those mini rock people in the bottom right? I spotted those on maybe the 20th read.

Finally, we live in the woods. And if you can’t tell, we love books about the woods (forests, bears, moose and so on).

This book is especially a hit because we love to go to a café at the edge of the woods (The Heart) in the little hamlet of Bragg Creek. My toddler thinks that this book is about that very café!

I hope you love this one as much as we do! Let me know in the comments.

-Happy reading & café-ing!