The Café at the Edge of the Woods: questions to ask and activities to try
Rene builds a café at the edge of an enchanted wood, with Glumfoot as her waiter, but her customers have very unusual tastes. A funny, rhyming story about trying new things and changing your plans, and winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2025.
What age is The Café at the Edge of the Woods for?
The Café at the Edge of the Woods is best for ages 3–7.
The Café at the Edge of the Woods (Mikey Please)
- Age
- 3-7
- Best for
- Trying new things, and changing your plans when they don’t work
Only 50pThe Café at the Edge of the Woods activity sheet3 printable pages: questions to talk about, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the grown-up. Instant PDF.
Just want the questions? Get the free question card ↓
Enjoy the disgusting dishes together first. Then talk about how Rene had to change her cooking, and about a time your child tried something new.
Is this book right for your child?
- Age
- 3–7 (nursery to Year 2)
- What they'll enjoy
- Rene builds a café at the edge of an enchanted wood, with Glumfoot as her waiter, but her customers have very unusual tastes. A funny, rhyming story about trying new things and changing your plans, and winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2025.
- Helps with
- Trying new things, and changing your plans when they don’t work
- Buy or borrow?
- Borrow it from the library first if you can. If your child asks for it again and again, it’s one worth owning, and the questions and activities on this page work best with the book open next to you.
What it helps with
- Trying new foods and new things
- Coping when plans don’t work
- Accepting that people like different things
- Working together
Comprehension and discussion questions for The Café at the Edge of the Woods
Pick two or three, not all of them. “I don’t know” is a fine answer, and you can always come back to it another day.
- “What did Rene want to do?”
- “Who came to work at the café with Rene?”
- “Why didn’t the customers like Rene’s food at first?”
- “How did Rene change her cooking?”
- “How do you think Rene felt when things went wrong?”
- “Is there a food you didn’t like at first, but like now?”
- “If you opened a café, what would be on the menu?”
For the full list of questions and more, download the PDF below.
Print these questions: free question card for The Café at the Edge of the Woods
All 7 questions for The Café at the Edge of the Woods on one printable page, each marked with the reading skill it practises. Enter your email and download it straight away.
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5-minute activities to try together
Menu for monsters
Make a menu for a creature from the woods: one dish that sounds delicious, and one that sounds disgusting. Which would your child order?
Brave bite
Pick one new food to try, just a tiny bite. Give it a thumbs up, thumbs middle or thumbs down, and say what it tasted like.
Café role play
Take turns being the chef and the customer. The customer orders something unexpected, and the chef has to think of a way to make it.
The Café at the Edge of the Woods activity sheet: printable worksheet and questions
All the questions and activities above on a ready-to-print activity sheet: questions tagged by reading skill with space to answer, a drawing and writing page with a self-check, and notes for the adult with curriculum links and a 20-minute session plan. Pay by card, PayPal or Payhip and download straight away.
- Page 1, talk about it: questions about the story, each tagged with the reading skill it practises, with space to answer or tick
- Page 2, my favourite part: a drawing box, a sentence starter and a “how did I do?” self-check
- Page 3, notes for the adult: curriculum links, a 20-minute session plan, extension activities, and support and challenge ideas
- Read it togetherEnjoy the story first.
- Ask 2 or 3 questionsFrom the list above, while everyone is calm.
- Print the activity sheetAn activity sheet with questions, a drawing page and notes for you.
Change & New Starts bundle15 activity sheets for books on the same themeThe 15 books:The Rabbit ListenedThe Koala Who CouldA Squash and a SqueezeThe Very Hungry CaterpillarGreen Eggs and HamAlexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayThe Name JarThe Tiger Who Came to TeaA New House for MouseLulu Gets a CatLuna Loves Library DayOtto the Book BearI'm Going to Make a FriendNoah's New HomeKing of the Classroom£4.99 3 sheets for £1.25The Café at the Edge of the Woods + The Rabbit Listened + The Koala Who CouldThe 3 books:The Café at the Edge of the WoodsThe Rabbit ListenedThe Koala Who Could£1.25 Pick your own books: build a bundle with this one, up to 15% off →
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Use it as a lesson plan
Children can listen to The Café at the Edge of the Woods, answer questions about it and give a reason for their ideas, and talk about trying new foods and new things.
A 20-minute session for ages 3–7 (nursery to Year 2), for a class, a small group or one child at home.
- Warm up (2 minutes). Show the cover and read the title. Ask: “What do you think this story will be about?”
- Read aloud (6 minutes). Read it all the way through. Tip: Enjoy the disgusting dishes together first. Then talk about how Rene had to change her cooking, and about a time your child tried something new.
- Talk about it (4 minutes). Pick two or three of the comprehension and discussion questions above. “What did Rene want to do?” works well to start.
- Activity (6 minutes). Do Menu for monsters. Make a menu for a creature from the woods: one dish that sounds delicious, and one that sounds disgusting. Which would your child order? Children who finish early can try Brave bite.
- Wrap up (2 minutes). Ask each child for one thing they will remember from the story, and why.
Want to go further? The The Café at the Edge of the Woods activity sheet has these questions with space to answer, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the adult.
If your child liked this, try
I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Lauren Child)
- Best for
- Fussy eating, and imagination at mealtimes
- Age
- 3-7
Pumpkin Soup (Helen Cooper)
- Best for
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- Age
- 3-7
Rhinos Don't Eat Pancakes (Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie)
- Best for
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- Age
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By the Growing Wise team · Last reviewed: 29 October 2026
Growing Wise offers educational ideas for parents and carers. It is not a substitute for professional medical, developmental or mental-health advice. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.