The café at the edge of the woods

This appealingly loathsome picture book by Please (Robin Robin) opens as its hero, determined, red-headed human Rene, builds a café at the edge of a dark forest, "beam by beam," then hires Glumfoot, a small green being with pointy ears, to wait tables. Please's sepia-tinged, theatrically lit spreads give the pages a graphic novel feel, creating ample atmosphere for the café and sympathy for its proprietor when no customers appear. Nursery-rhyme meter adds levity: "Perhaps this plot/ is the worst spot?... My hopes and dreams will turn to rot," Rene groans. Then Glumfoot goes out walking and brings back a green ogre whose "knuckles dragged upon the floor." Tension mounts as the ogre requests dishes that Rene feels are too disgusting to consider ("Bats! And slugs and battered mice!"). In a cinema-ready moment, the cook storms off into the kitchen, and the waiter performs a quiet feat of cultural translation, saving the day, and the café. A startling visual mix of elegantly plated restaurant food and friendly horror--extra points for the way Glumfoot makes each dish acceptably revolting--show how collaboration and compassion can yield surprising results. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)

A determined chef and an enterprising waiter serve a finicky patron. Rene, a young tan-skinned woman, washes windows and "save[s] up every bean" to realize her dream of opening her own eatery, the titular cafe. The only applicant for the waiter position is Glumfoot, a short, squat, pointy-eared, green-skinned fellow. Morning after morning the cafe remains discouragingly empty until Glumfoot brings in a customer: a huge, green, lumpy-headed ogre. Unimpressed by Rene's menu, the ogre requests some icky, off-menu items: pickled bats, slugs, and battered mice. When Rene bravely suggests a cheddar tart, the ogre counters, "A bag of bats! That smells like fart!" Rene nearly gives up, but Glumfoot, realizing that the ogre's aversion to different foods is rooted in his desire for the familiar, deploys a clever solution that results in rave reviews from the ogre. The jaunty rhythm and rhymes of the text are lighthearted, while the warm, cartoonlike illustrations are droll and highly expressive, reflecting the author/illustrator's background as an animator. Rene's clothing, kitchen, and the cafe's interior have a pleasantly retro feel, and the story concludes with an abundant variety of fairy-tale creatures who come to dine at last. A delightful and silly treat for gourmets, gourmands, and picky eaters alike.(Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.