"The Van Gogh Cafe brings out the best in people.." But I'm not sure it brought out the best in Cynthia Rylant. Publishers Weekly said, "Readers will share the wonder of ten-year-old Clara and her father Marc, the cafe's owner, as they witness a series of serendipitous occurrences involving stranded seagulls, aged film stars, magic muffins, lost pets, and mysterious travelers." I think it was the gluttonous seagulls and aged film star that lost me toward the end.
School Library Journal enthused- "A lovely title that's perfectly suited to all readers who can recognize the special magic of the world around them." Of course it is lovely; Rylant will not, perhaps cannot, produce anything else. It's the special magic that I'm unsure of. What do you think of this kind of "magic"? Is it similar or different from the kind of magic in, say, Narnia?
Reading level = 4.5; not recommended.
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