HarperCollins The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods.

The Café at the Edge of the Woods

by Mikey Please

Welcome to the Café at the Edge of the Woods, the utterly charming and mesmerising new picture book from BAFTA award-winning writer Mikey Please.

Rene's dreams have finally come true! She's opened a café beside an enchanted wood, and with the help of a newfound waiter, Glumfoot, she is ready to serve the finest cuisine! But the locals seem to favour a most peculiar palette, requesting all sorts of disgusting things. Can Glumfoot's quick-thinking save the day?

Join Rene and Glumfoot in this other-worldly story full of magical humour, mythical creatures and culinary curiosities.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Food, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Monsters

48 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Faye 🫀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who’s down to carpool to the cafe at the edge of the woods

[Hannah Rials Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to work at the cafe at the edge of the woods!

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I obviously don't read children's books very often, not having any myself, but as the Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize I thought this worth a read, for work if nothing else... and I have to say; I absolutely loved it.
The art in particular is phenomenal, and the story was cute and a lot of fun.

This is definitely worth looking at if you have young kids you want to introduce to Fantasy, and it's been a great introduction to an author who has also just released an adult Science Fiction book as well, The Expanded Earth, which looks superb and I will definitely be checking out soon.

[Mia Schilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming art and story 😍🫶🏼 enjoyed reading very much! Thank you so much @Rojda 💛

[Christian Schultheiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another whimsical and absolutely adorable and gorgeously illustrated little kids tale with the cutest human monster duo at its helm, they might just decide that working together and coming at their customer problem from a new angle might just be the answer they’ve been looking for

[I' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to go ahead and call this one a toddler friendly version of Legend and Lattes and that is the hill I am willing to die in.

The art is absolutely amazing.
Deserved win.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Takealookinsideabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this totally by accident but oh what a delight this was to read! I shall be passing this along to my neice and nephew to enjoy for sure! It made me laugh several times so they will be in fits of laughter

Thank you to the publisher for sending a free copy in exchange for an honest review

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and spooky, although while I got the impression that there was a tempo to the reading, I couldn't quite get it. Still, I thought this was an enjoyable little tale.

[Rubymay · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a beautifully written and illustrated book ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Katie Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful little story to read with willow 🥰

[Rob Crypt · Rating 4 out of 5]

had a lovely read of this while i made pie and mash for dinner. mikey please is a gift of a writer

[Sarah Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great kids book. Imaginative and fun story with clever use of words and rhyme and great illustrations. The language has not been simplified for children so will expand their vocabulary and is interesting to read as an adult. My 7 year old loves it.

[Beth McCallum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see why this is the Waterstone’s book of the month. So lovely. Can’t wait to read it to my son.

[Theodora · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was such a cute book. Love the moral of the story

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a worthy winner for The Waterstones’ Children’s book of the year 2025

Mikey Please has created a magical story with a hint of darkness

Rene has dreamed of having her own cafe but when she employs the curious Glumfoot as her waiter the path of the cafe, the menu and the clientele take on a different path to the one she expected

Mikey Please’s illustrations are fantastically wonderful- works of magical art and the poetic prose is spot on.

This is a book for young, the young at heart , families and KS 1 classrooms

A superb storybook that you will definitely return to.

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rene has long dreamed of becoming a gourmet chef with her own cafe. She saves up and just barely manages to afford a little plot at the edge of the woods. But no customers come. She hires a little hobgoblin to be her assistant, but still no one comes. Then the waiter has an idea, a way to bring in magical creatures. But it's not a method Rene is particularly delighted in.

I've become more and more fond of books that play with perception and how character growth happens when we stop to decide whether rigidity is really the best way to go. There are times when stubbornness and vision pay off (such as when Rene builds the cafe itself and feels a sense of accomplishment), but there are also times when flexibility is the best course (such as when Rene gets no human customers). This book has charming illustrations and a delightful story. I wasn't fond of the worms, but the crawly elements helped reinforce the story, so I can't really complain.

[Iliana Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot revolves around René, a chef who opens his own café on the outskirts of an enchanted forest, where he welcomes a truly special client: an ogre with unconventional culinary tastes: "pickled bats, slugs, and battered rats."

The resolution is ingenious: his assistant Glumfoot transforms haute cuisine into dishes that, though disgusting, are delicious: a brilliant lesson in creativity and adaptation!
mikeyplease.co.uk

Evocative and elegant illustrations
The use of an earthy color palette (ochres, greens, and browns) creates a fairy-tale atmosphere reminiscent of the style of Raymond Briggs.
thetimes.co.uk

The art is full of details to explore and expressive characters: from the determined chef to the ogre and Glumfoot.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is wonderful! A young woman opens a small cafe at the edge of the forest. The only “person” that applies for the server position is Glumfoot, a “creature”. Unfortunately, no one comes to the cafe, until Glumfoot goes out to bring people in, or rather, brings in an ogre. The ogre wants to eat maggots, and mice, and other gross stuff. Glumfoot figures out a way to make the delicious food look disgusting, and the ogre loves it! Soon more mystical creatures start coming to the cafe. The art is amazing in this book. Its rich colors will draw children in. The story will make them laugh, and appreciate that Glumfoot was exactly who Rene needed working at the cafe.

[Milton Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rene, the human, and Glumfoot, a troll (?), come together to run a cafe at the edge of the woods. Their very first customer, a demanding ogre, puts the pair to the test! Through trial and error, humor and fun, Rene and Glumfoot learn to work together to become a success. This book is utterfly unique in story and illustration alike. This is a quirky picture books that had my kids and I trying to read with different voices and laugh really hard.

Find it in our SHARE Catalog today!

Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Glumfoot, I've been a nincompoop. But you've shown me a different route."

Lovely story, lovelier illustrations.

9/10 - any book that include the word "nincompoop" is a winner in my eyes

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods was a really sweet story for little ones. The illustrations are very vibrant, with lots of detail for young children to look over. The story is a cute one; how, if you just change things a teeny tiny little bit, it can make a big difference. The only thing which prevented me from awarding more stars was that, I felt that the rhyme was a little off at times. But maybe this is me.

[Aimée · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rene träumt von einem eigenen Restaurant - also baut sie sich eins, direkt am Waldrand. Leider ist das Laufpublikum dort rar gesät. Ihr Kellner ist ein Gnom namens Glumfoot, doch als eines Tages ein Oger vorbeikommt und eine seltsame Speisekarte verlangt, rettet Glumfoot die Situation. Wie wird das Lokal in Zukunft laufen? Die Story ist total süß, die Illustrationen sind total süß und bei Waterstones gab es eine total süße Illustration dazu. Alles perfekt also!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing all the different wood creatures visit the cafe was fun.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found the illustrations delightful, but would have loved a little more from the story itself.. feels like a perfect companion to “Monster Stew”

[Luis Collado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia breve sobre colaborar y entenderse para crecer en equipo 🧌

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a group of second graders and it was giggles galore

[Pandafly · Rating 4 out of 5]

เป็นหนังสือนิทานสนุกดี เด็กๆน่าจะชอบกัน

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

adorable little kids book with wonderful drawings and a fun story

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute little children’s book