The Café at the Edge of the Woods: Chapter Books
Part of the collectionThe Café at the Edge of the Woods→The picture-book world grown into a funny, warm-hearted woodland adventure trilogy for eight-plus readers moving on to longer stories.
- Books1 / 3
- Arcs1
- Span2026
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
A chapter-book trilogy set in the beloved, award-winning world of The Café at the Edge of the Woods, written and illustrated by Mikey Please for older, more independent readers. Rene and Glumfoot return, but the format grows up: longer, plottier, funny-but-exciting adventures set in the enchanted Wandthorn Woods, illustrated throughout in Please's striking black-and-white artwork. The Rambler's Curse opens the trilogy when a storm blows a human across the café's threshold, forcing Rene, who is certain humans are monsters, and Glumfoot to uncover who the intruders are and stop them before they destroy the woods every creature calls home. It keeps the picture books' warmth and wit while adding genuine adventure stakes and a thread about prejudice and changing your mind.
The picture-book world grown into a funny, warm-hearted woodland adventure trilogy for eight-plus readers moving on to longer stories.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Funny
- Adventurous
- Warm
- Whimsical
The Rambler's Curse is the first book of the trilogy and the intended starting point; later volumes should be read in publication order.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- INarrative arcLow sensitivity
The Wandthorn Woods trilogy
A human blows into the café in a storm, and Rene and Glumfoot set out to save the enchanted Wandthorn Woods.
The opening arc of a planned trilogy that carries Rene and Glumfoot out of the café and deep into the enchanted Wandthorn Woods. In The Rambler's Curse, a storm blows a human across the threshold and Glumfoot discovers that humans have been venturing further into the woods, threatening every creature who lives there. Rene, who believes humans are simply monsters, and Glumfoot set out to find out who the intruders are, what they want and how to stop them, and Rene must face the woods' secrets and her own fixed ideas along the way. The adventure keeps the world's comedy and warmth while adding real stakes and a thread about prejudice, home and being willing to change your mind.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 8–11
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 8–11
Reluctant-reader friendliness
High
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Adult crossover
High
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Low overall, and consistent.
In the same universe
Sister series.
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
Similar in feel
Different shelves, same wavelength.
- Podkin One-Ear →
About the author