The Van Gogh Cafe

When reading this book, the reader has to redefine the concept of magic. For Rylant, it does not mean pulling tricks and rabbits out of a hat, but rather the small things in everyday life that people sometimes just write off as coincidence or even nothing. Rylant wants the reader to experience these tiny miracles as magic that fills your heart and changes your world. For young Clara, anything can happen at this café. Her father is an inspiration, for here is an adult that has not lost his sense of wonder to his age. Beyond just him, the whole town of Flowers, Kansas is an inspiration in their ability to accept magic and everyday miracles. While reading, I kept wondering what it would be like to have a place where life-magic happens often, but then I realized that the point of the whole story is that it could be anywhere and everywhere, small towns being included not the exception.

One thing I’ve noticed about Cynthia Rylant is that she really sets the stage for her stories. She uses ellipses to lead the reader into the next part of the story. Possible hooks include “This is their story…” or “What he found was a story worth telling…”. In the Van Gogh Café, Rylant ends many chapters with an ellipsis, helping the reader predict what will happen next. I also loved the language in this book, especially on page 5: “Kansas is like a tall person relaxing”. What an interesting perspective!

A short read, I enjoyed finding all the wondrous things that happened at this café just off I-70. I have actually been on I-70 – where was this café when I was stuck in Kansas? I think I remember getting lost somehow, coming into Kansas City. Maybe if I’d read this book before, I could have been a little more open-minded. I could’ve used some magic!