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The Van Gogh Cafe
At the Van Gogh Cafe, anything can happen. Clara's dad owns the cafe, and she's seen it all--from food that cooks by itself to poems that foretell the future. This award-winning collection of vignettes by Newbery medalist Cynthia Rylant is a treat to be relished. So bring your appetite for the unexpected, because at the Van Gogh Cafe, your order of tea and toast comes with a side of magic!
53 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
18 people are currently reading
871 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Rylant
515 books863 followersAn author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains, she is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults, middle-grade fiction and fantasy, lyrical prose poems, beginning readers, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry and verse, books of prayers and blessings, two autobiographies, and a biography of three well-known children's writers; several volumes of the author's fiction and picture books are published in series, including the popular "Henry and Mudge" easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog.
Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.
from bookrags.com
Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.
from bookrags.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
September 13, 2024
This is a great book to teach reading and writing strategies to students.
Seventh Read:
September 9, 2024 - September 13, 2024
5 Stars
I read this with my new class of grade 6 students. I love starting my year with this short story.
Sixth Read:
September 6, 2023 - September 11, 2023
5 Stars
I read this to my new group of grade 6 students. This short novel never gets old. I absolutely love it! My 6th graders are always intrigued, especially with the cliff hangers at the end of each chapter. They are always excited to discover the magic of the cafe.
Fifth Read:
September 9, 2019 - September 16, 2019
5 Stars
I read this to my new group of students.
Fourth Read:
June 20, 2019 - June 20, 2019
5 Stars
I reread this to find vocabulary for September.
Third Read: September 10, 2018 - September 14, 2018
5 Stars
I read this to my new group of 6th graders.
Second Read: October 13, 2017 - November 17, 2017
5 Stars
I read this for the second time for my other grade 6 class.
First Read: September 12, 2017 - September 19, 2017
5 Stars
I read this for the first time for my grade 6 class.
Seventh Read:
September 9, 2024 - September 13, 2024
5 Stars
I read this with my new class of grade 6 students. I love starting my year with this short story.
Sixth Read:
September 6, 2023 - September 11, 2023
5 Stars
I read this to my new group of grade 6 students. This short novel never gets old. I absolutely love it! My 6th graders are always intrigued, especially with the cliff hangers at the end of each chapter. They are always excited to discover the magic of the cafe.
Fifth Read:
September 9, 2019 - September 16, 2019
5 Stars
I read this to my new group of students.
Fourth Read:
June 20, 2019 - June 20, 2019
5 Stars
I reread this to find vocabulary for September.
Third Read: September 10, 2018 - September 14, 2018
5 Stars
I read this to my new group of 6th graders.
Second Read: October 13, 2017 - November 17, 2017
5 Stars
I read this for the second time for my other grade 6 class.
First Read: September 12, 2017 - September 19, 2017
5 Stars
I read this for the first time for my grade 6 class.
December 19, 2016
The writer sits a long time watching people come and go. He watches their faces change when they enter the Van Gogh Cafe - the tiredness lift, the worry relax, the hurry slow down.
They come in and they are kind and modest and funny.
This is the story of a bewitching little cafe located in Flowers, Kansas. There was once a theater where now the cafe stands, and that is believed to be the reason for all the magic that seems to be oozing out of the very walls of this place.
The short little story was lined with a series of magical events, that make you want to keep reading it. In just the few hours that it took me to read the book in its entirety, I felt like I was transported to the magical cafe and witnessing all the events first-hand!
#SundaySpentWell :D
They come in and they are kind and modest and funny.
This is the story of a bewitching little cafe located in Flowers, Kansas. There was once a theater where now the cafe stands, and that is believed to be the reason for all the magic that seems to be oozing out of the very walls of this place.
The short little story was lined with a series of magical events, that make you want to keep reading it. In just the few hours that it took me to read the book in its entirety, I felt like I was transported to the magical cafe and witnessing all the events first-hand!
#SundaySpentWell :D
May 13, 2008
Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com
The Van Gogh Café is magic. Nobody knows quite how or why, but they all agree that it is. Nobody knows it better than ten-year-old Clara. She helps her dad, Marc, run the café. Clara knows how much the café loves stories, and the small stories don't often stay small for long.
To the people in Flowers, Kansas, who have been going to the café all of their lives, the unbelievable is pretty normal, and the impossible seems quite possible. Anything can happen at the Van Gogh Café.
From lost loves found, to a cat that falls in love with a seagull. From food that cooks itself, to magically multiplying muffins. From prophetic poetry on napkins, to a possum that helps a man find his life again. You never know what you might find at the Van Gogh Café.
I love it!
My only complaint is that it's too short and I want more! My only question is, can I please go visit? Maybe even work there? Oh, that's two questions.
The Van Gogh Café is magic. Nobody knows quite how or why, but they all agree that it is. Nobody knows it better than ten-year-old Clara. She helps her dad, Marc, run the café. Clara knows how much the café loves stories, and the small stories don't often stay small for long.
To the people in Flowers, Kansas, who have been going to the café all of their lives, the unbelievable is pretty normal, and the impossible seems quite possible. Anything can happen at the Van Gogh Café.
From lost loves found, to a cat that falls in love with a seagull. From food that cooks itself, to magically multiplying muffins. From prophetic poetry on napkins, to a possum that helps a man find his life again. You never know what you might find at the Van Gogh Café.
I love it!
My only complaint is that it's too short and I want more! My only question is, can I please go visit? Maybe even work there? Oh, that's two questions.
November 29, 2007
When I was seven or eight years old and home sick from school, my mom brought me two things in bed: a hot cup of Earl Grey tea and this darling book that I always keep nearby. Of all the books in the entire world, this is the one that stole my heart.
Clara is an imaginative, precocious young girl who lives in Flowers, Kansas with her dad. They own a cafe on the main street in town, a cafe that was once a theatre. The magic in those walls still makes funny things happen in the cafe, and Clara notices it all. Like the possum...
Barely 100 pages, this book can easily be read within an hour. Any time I feel upset, sick, depressed, or simply bored with life, I escape to the Van Gogh Cafe. It's a dream of a children's book that will certainly inspire and entertain any adult with an imagination.
Clara is an imaginative, precocious young girl who lives in Flowers, Kansas with her dad. They own a cafe on the main street in town, a cafe that was once a theatre. The magic in those walls still makes funny things happen in the cafe, and Clara notices it all. Like the possum...
Barely 100 pages, this book can easily be read within an hour. Any time I feel upset, sick, depressed, or simply bored with life, I escape to the Van Gogh Cafe. It's a dream of a children's book that will certainly inspire and entertain any adult with an imagination.
February 15, 2017
A lyrical children's chapter book about a cafe, the man who owns it, his daughter, and various customers. A lovely piece of magical realism infused with hope. I'm not completely satisfied by the ending, which is not as original as the rest of this quaint story. Also, I expected the name of the cafe to have some special meaning to the character(s), but it doesn't have any significance within the story. Still, this book is a short, enjoyable read. Would make a good writing prompt/exercise for upper elementary or middle school students.
July 24, 2018
Very little value in this book aimed at ages 6-9ish. There is no plot, only ideas. Kids this age are pretty much incapable of comprehending the abstract (on their own), and require (and need) what is concrete. As we know from physiology and history, critical thinking skills present themselves at around age 12. Before that is the best time for the facts to be memorized and soaked up by the unused sponges, which in turn contribute to grownup creative thinking and innovation. First images are the ones that can never be forgotten. With that said, I am curious what motivated the author and the publishers to aim for such a young and vulnerable audience.
Each chapter is a small story featuring transient patrons of the cafe, which I think you will find to be more like Hemingway's Cafe than Van Gogh's. I am disappointed by this book after greatly enjoying the author's Aunt Lucy's Kitchen series.
Also, this is yet another children's book which supports homosexual feelings, openly portrayed and inciting our sympathy and guilt at the "old days" (1940s maybe), when such feelings tended not to be acted upon and were considered indications of mental instability and risky behavior. How does sexual behavior find its way into a pre-puberty book?
Several of the vignettes also make me wonder if the author is a devotee of PETA. Her book is a Radical Liberal's delight, ideal propaganda aimed at those unable to think for themselves.
The only part I liked was on the first page, after stating that the Van Gogh Cafe was built inside a building that was once a theater. "Anyone who has ever seen anything happen on a stage -- anything -- knows that a theater is so full of magic that after years and years of opening nights there must be magic enough to last forever in its walls."
Each chapter is a small story featuring transient patrons of the cafe, which I think you will find to be more like Hemingway's Cafe than Van Gogh's. I am disappointed by this book after greatly enjoying the author's Aunt Lucy's Kitchen series.
Also, this is yet another children's book which supports homosexual feelings, openly portrayed and inciting our sympathy and guilt at the "old days" (1940s maybe), when such feelings tended not to be acted upon and were considered indications of mental instability and risky behavior. How does sexual behavior find its way into a pre-puberty book?
Several of the vignettes also make me wonder if the author is a devotee of PETA. Her book is a Radical Liberal's delight, ideal propaganda aimed at those unable to think for themselves.
The only part I liked was on the first page, after stating that the Van Gogh Cafe was built inside a building that was once a theater. "Anyone who has ever seen anything happen on a stage -- anything -- knows that a theater is so full of magic that after years and years of opening nights there must be magic enough to last forever in its walls."
June 25, 2018
I found the cover of the book very intriguing when I walked past it in my school library. I wasn't disappointed- it is a very interesting book. Completes a few of my challenges too.
February 3, 2025
Housed this while the girl I babysit was having her own reading time… this is actually so precious and I love joy and wonder and a little bit of magic, need to read kids books more often… reminded me of the little prince with all its wonder
February 26, 2025
Reminds me of a Van Gogh painting..beautifully crafted and a little bit odd.
July 17, 2010
Not only does the magic renew Clara's (the 10 year-old who helps her father run the Van Gogh Cafe) hope and add a rainbow splash of color to her life, but the magic between Marc (Clara's father) and Clara struck me as inspiring, too. Marc and Clara share the work, and share the magic: The father and daughter make an interesting, enjoyable team to read about, from the time lightning struck the Cafe, to the time they met a very special writer and all the times in between. It seems Clara expects good things (magic) to happen, and that expectation is contagious to readers as they can't wait to find out what happens next in this book (which is a quick and easy read - it was over too soon). It's easy to get involved in The Van Gogh Cafe, and easy to find hope and cheer there.
June 6, 2020
This book may have deserved Newbery consideration for 1996. Cynthia Rylant has cooked up a story of not-so-subtle magic that is, nonetheless, difficult to precisely identify. Ever since lightning struck at the Van Gogh Cafe, special things have happened, bringing help to people when they most need it and anticipating future needs before they arise. The Van Gogh Cafe is guided well by Cynthia Rylant's light touch, and in my eyes is a success.
September 1, 2023
Simple, yet quite enough for what it is. Having said that, the way she drags herself into this novella is as natural and organic as the chapters themselves. The overall tone and writing style are in tune with this image of Cynthia and her dog.
A humble request for Studio Ghibli to adapt, particularly, "The Star"
August 26, 2025
The author of the Henry and Mudge books tries low grade sci-fi and really struggles to piece together a story of magic that flows effortlessly. Two stars for the idea and the interesting anecdotes, but this could’ve been a really good novella with a stronger sense of time & audience and with more fleshed out writing.
March 21, 2023
about 50 pages, an intriguing elementary grade novel that feels like a dream.. part of my clearing off the bookshelf project.
March 13, 2020
Just ok.
May 5, 2010
Prolific and popular children's book author Cynthia Rylant has crafted series and independent works directed toward students of varying levels of maturity, ranging from early pre-readers to the fully mature. This relatively short, mystical work, The Van Gogh Cafe, combines challenging intellectual and emotional themes and symbols with relatively simple language accessible to the very young. It may be particularly useful for struggling older readers, who may be ready to discuss complex themes but who may have difficulty deciphering the written word.
It is quite a fascinating tale and will delight many readers. It is among her darker works -- one of the characters dies, and the reader is left to resolve unanswered questions in the end. Parents should know that this work is very different than her happy-go-lucky series for the very young.
Highly recommended. May not be appropriate for very young or sensitive readers.
It is quite a fascinating tale and will delight many readers. It is among her darker works -- one of the characters dies, and the reader is left to resolve unanswered questions in the end. Parents should know that this work is very different than her happy-go-lucky series for the very young.
Highly recommended. May not be appropriate for very young or sensitive readers.
November 30, 2011
We love this book! It's a very good book. It's funny. It's perfect for children who really love funny stories, adventures, and magic. It's safe to read. There are no bad words or scary things. There is only one sad part.
If you liked the book Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman, you'll like this one because Seedfolks really connects to this book because each chapter is about someone new but it still makes a good story. At the end it all comes together to make a book that you will really enjoy.
We would give it more than five stars if we could.
Hope you're ready for for funny things in this book! Hope you read it!
From four third graders at Shepardson Elementary in Fort Collins, Colorado
If you liked the book Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman, you'll like this one because Seedfolks really connects to this book because each chapter is about someone new but it still makes a good story. At the end it all comes together to make a book that you will really enjoy.
We would give it more than five stars if we could.
Hope you're ready for for funny things in this book! Hope you read it!
From four third graders at Shepardson Elementary in Fort Collins, Colorado
January 18, 2014
This is a book that confirms my love of the creativity of Rylant.
The Van Gogh Cafe is magical and there is no doubt about that for ten year old Clara.
Her father owns the cafe and she helps to dispense the food to those who visit.
Once a theater, perhaps some of the magic remains. While Clara's father pens poems on napkins, the food cooks itself, including marvelous lemon pies.
Muffins wrapped in foil and left by a previous movie star have the power to heal. A possum hangs upside down near the window of the cafe and gives purpose to a disillusioned man who opens a shelter for lost animals; a Emerald the cat falls in love with the sea gull who appeared mysteriously in Flowers, Kansas!
This is a delightful, soft, wonderfully written tale. I loved it!!!
The Van Gogh Cafe is magical and there is no doubt about that for ten year old Clara.
Her father owns the cafe and she helps to dispense the food to those who visit.
Once a theater, perhaps some of the magic remains. While Clara's father pens poems on napkins, the food cooks itself, including marvelous lemon pies.
Muffins wrapped in foil and left by a previous movie star have the power to heal. A possum hangs upside down near the window of the cafe and gives purpose to a disillusioned man who opens a shelter for lost animals; a Emerald the cat falls in love with the sea gull who appeared mysteriously in Flowers, Kansas!
This is a delightful, soft, wonderfully written tale. I loved it!!!
June 1, 2013
Start with a mention of magic the next thing you know, you have men marrying men. Thanks for clueing me in RJ.
Parents Beware!, October 9, 2003 By kelly (Georgia)
I was hoping this would be another great book by Rylant, but I was shocked to find the cleverly woven references to homosexuality....this is a book for young readers...not appropriate!
Thank you, anti-gay concerned parent one-star Amazon raters, for invariably letting me know when a children’s book has unexpected LGBTQ content.
Seriously I didn’t even have to read the review of this one, I just saw the lone one-star and said to myself, “ooh, I bet there’s gay stuff!”
Parents Beware!, October 9, 2003 By kelly (Georgia)
I was hoping this would be another great book by Rylant, but I was shocked to find the cleverly woven references to homosexuality....this is a book for young readers...not appropriate!
May 23, 2024
This is such an amazing book! It was so nostalgic for me to read today because I first read it years ago with my mom and we loved it then too. However, I had mostly forgotten all of it by now so reading it today was like reading it for the first time again and I can remember exactly why we loved it so much. My mom bought this book in bulk and practically gave it as a gift to everyone we know (she’s still giving them away!). For an adult, this is a quick 20-30 minute read and though this may be a kid’s book, I enjoyed it so much. It really does feel so magical and I hope everyone will take a chance on The Van Gogh Cafe!
November 1, 2011
Well, not what I expected from Cynthia Rylant, and from many of the reviews posted here and on the book cover. But, I love Cynthia Rylant's other series and respect her work, and I majored in Art History. It was a must-read. The best vignette here was the final one, the one I remotely saw coming from the outset when Rylant spoke of the magic in the theatre walls. I could also tell that the actor was waiting to expire, not literally waiting for a friend to walk in. This type of mature scenario would go over the heads of most of the book's intended young audience. Quick read.
July 17, 2009
I listened to this book on audiotape with my sons and I am certain the reader and my listening partners added much to the charm of this book. Some books I enjoy more simply because they are read to me and I believe this was the case with this book. I also love to share stories with my children and the little pieces of magic that made my children smile, endeared me to this book. The story was charming and sweet.
March 4, 2016
The characters of this book were magical. I felt as though I really knew them. They could be friends. Clara, the cafe owner's, always excepted something magical to happen to the cafe. The conflict of his book was between Clara and the cafe. I like how the author wrote each chapter as a different story about the cafe. I thought this made me want to keep reading to figure out what happened next.
March 12, 2014
Beautiful, magical book that can be enjoyed by adults as well as children. Love the way Rylant snuck in a heartbreaking love affair between two men. And I also liked, in a rather self-absorbed way, the part about the writer at the end. ;-P You rarely see magical realism in a book written for this age group, making The Van Gogh Cafe a real treat.
August 14, 2014
What a super cute book. Excellent rhythm and pacing for a young reader, with each chapter leaving off with a clue about the next magical event. This book is a great answer to books like Harry Potter (which I also love, don't get me wrong), because the magic is in the ordinary, and therefore seems possible.
May 15, 2012
I love short stories and I love bits of magic that appear in the real world. The way Rylant strings together tiny tales about magic in the Cafe is magic itself. It's a warm and fuzzy book when you need a cup of coffee and a slice of lemon meringue pie.
January 16, 2014
What a strange little book. Interesting LGBT moments, quite charming at times, but bland.
May 19, 2016
Quietly beautiful. Definitely one to read again and again with a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon. Like the walls of the cafe it is about, the book has magic in its pages.
April 26, 2020
Have you ever been to a magical café where possums make people kinder to one another, food cooks itself, and poems tell the future? This is what happens at the Van Gogh Café; a place where the impossible becomes possible. The author, Cynthia Rylant, writes about the café;s owner and chef, Marc, who works with his daughter, Clara. They both witness many magical and heartwarming stories during their shifts. On one instance, a possum appears suddenly outside the café and everyone that walks by experiences kindness and happiness. Children who were fighting become friends, a husband and wife who dislike one another reconcile, and neighbors who argue squash their quarrels. Another time, lightning strikes the café and the food starts making itself. Marc also begins to create poetry that tells the future. Everyone who enters the café leaves for the better.
The Van Gogh Café features a variety of stories, a different one per chapter, yet all are focused around the same characters and setting. The chapters vary in length but since each one explains a different magical circumstance, the story is easy to follow for readers with comprehension issues. Rylant’s writing style is very descriptive, painting a picture which allows for visualization. Thoughtfully placed illustrations would help with this as well, yet the book lacked in this area. Vignettes are new to many people of all ages so this is a great book to introduce this writing style to young readers. The plot line and fantastical elements are similar to that of the novel Savvy by Ingrid Law. A word of caution relating to one of the final stories: the man that the chapter revolves around is waiting for his male lover to arrive to the café. Since the book is geared towards younger readers, they may have questions regarding what a “lover” entails. The Van Gogh Café is another a great tale by Cynthia Rylant that incorporates more incorporates more whimsy and unexplainable magic than her other stories.
The Van Gogh Café features a variety of stories, a different one per chapter, yet all are focused around the same characters and setting. The chapters vary in length but since each one explains a different magical circumstance, the story is easy to follow for readers with comprehension issues. Rylant’s writing style is very descriptive, painting a picture which allows for visualization. Thoughtfully placed illustrations would help with this as well, yet the book lacked in this area. Vignettes are new to many people of all ages so this is a great book to introduce this writing style to young readers. The plot line and fantastical elements are similar to that of the novel Savvy by Ingrid Law. A word of caution relating to one of the final stories: the man that the chapter revolves around is waiting for his male lover to arrive to the café. Since the book is geared towards younger readers, they may have questions regarding what a “lover” entails. The Van Gogh Café is another a great tale by Cynthia Rylant that incorporates more incorporates more whimsy and unexplainable magic than her other stories.
September 28, 2019
I don't know why 4 star but its a total 5
:
I would love to recommend this book to anyone though, I finished it a week ago ; The feeling to read this book again is getting stronger than ever aah the way book described the magic happening all around the walls of Cafe made me a clear picture of everything falling into it's places
Clara is a girl with a golden heart, She lives with her father which is not the reason you will feel sad the thing is - Her mother (in New York) doesn't like being in Flowers Kansas ...
Always Clara had this feeling a bigger magic is yet to come and the innocence that writer describes about her and Marc makes the story more interesting.
Like Magic of Food Cooking / I loved the magic muffin part most as I can relate to it most (someone did same for me)
Blackberry and the most saddest part was the Star dies waiting I fealt that strong how could a friend do something like that unless you the the furthermore to it
There are tonnes of thing I would like it here in my review but let it rest.
:
I would love to recommend this book to anyone though, I finished it a week ago ; The feeling to read this book again is getting stronger than ever aah the way book described the magic happening all around the walls of Cafe made me a clear picture of everything falling into it's places
Clara is a girl with a golden heart, She lives with her father which is not the reason you will feel sad the thing is - Her mother (in New York) doesn't like being in Flowers Kansas ...
Always Clara had this feeling a bigger magic is yet to come and the innocence that writer describes about her and Marc makes the story more interesting.
Like Magic of Food Cooking / I loved the magic muffin part most as I can relate to it most (someone did same for me)
Blackberry and the most saddest part was the Star dies waiting I fealt that strong how could a friend do something like that unless you the the furthermore to it
There are tonnes of thing I would like it here in my review but let it rest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews