Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4-6. With her usual mix of elegance and down-to-earthness, Rylant offers seven vignettes of life at the Van Gogh Cafe. Situated off I-70 in Flowers, Kansas, the cafe(formerly an old movie theater) is run by Marc and his 10-year-old daughter, Clara, who appreciate the magic that comes from the cafe's very walls. A possum turns up (upside down, actually) and is responsible for a widower's finding new meaning for his life. An aged film star and the man he loved many years ago are reunited in death at the cafe. Rylant's works can be deceptively simple on the surface, but there are layers to probe here. Some children may not wish to; even with magic in the walls and Clara hovering about, there's an adult, occasionally indulgent, sensibility that also permeates. But others will enjoy the odd cast of characters and Rylant's ability to turn a phrase, which can be quite magical in its own right. --Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Miracles are always in the making at the Van Gogh Cafe in Flowers, Kans.: the small restaurant, housed in a renovated theater, has ``magic enough to last forever in its walls.'' Readers will share the wonder of 10-year-old Clara and her father Marc, the cafe's owner, as they witness a series of serendipitous occurrences involving stranded sea gulls, aged film stars, magic muffins, lost pets and mysterious travelers. As effective as Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's charms at curing all manner of ills, the enchanted cafe instills faith and good will in its patrons. Newbery Medalist Rylant (Missing May) breaks new ground in producing this whimsical tale, dextrously weaving extraordinary events into the fabric of ordinary life. As she gently guides her characters toward their magnificent destinies, the strength of her imagination and the depth of her sensitivity will impress even the reluctant reader. Ages 8-12. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-By Cynthia Rylant. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The Van Gogh Cafe is run by a man and his ten-year-old daughter in Flowers, Kansas. From the sign over the register, reading 'Bless All Dogs,' to the purple hydrangeas painted on the walls of the women's restroom, it is obvious that the cafe is a friendly place; its magic, however, is more subtle. In lucidly written episodes, Rylant evokes a memorable atmosphere in which small miracles regularly occur. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Scenes from a cafe in Flowers, Kansas, where ``magic'' mingles with everyday life. Apart from the cafe itself, there are two fixed points in the book: the owner, Marc, and his daughter, Clara, 10. Everything around them is in an impressionistic state of flux, and enchantment comes in a succession of gusts that slowly gather momentum, become a mistral, and then evaporate. Lightning strikes the cafe and in the next few weeks the food cooks itself to perfection, while Marc starts writing poems that foretell the future; an old film star makes a quiet entrance and a peaceful final exit; a writer finds something like inspiration in the setting. These are peculiar episodes, described in fine-tuned prose, with every description, rhythm, and syntax positioned to create, overall, a perfectly smooth surface, along which the narrator glides like a figure-skater: always a little distant from the action, constantly reflecting on what constitutes magic and what makes a story. This little book never stops rushing forward. Every chapter points to the next, in which something even more wonderful may happen. The present-tense narrative creates a sense of the future; it becomes the tense of excited anticipation. Rylant (Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake, 1994, etc.) has no need for a car crash or someone jumping off a bridge to entertain; this one does it with the light-filled strokes of ordinary events. (Fiction. 8- 12)
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