W is for Wild Rumpus.
This is my favorite children's bookstore in Minneapolis. See the door? It is actually two doors. The purple door is for kid sized people and kids at heart who can duck to fit through. The big door is for grown ups.
"Where are the chickens?"
That is what kids say when they walk in.
Why? Because in addition to an amazing selection of books for kids The Wild Rumpus is home to some chickens, manx cats, rats, lizards, and a chinchilla.
I didn't see the cats today but I did see the chickens. Here a chicken browses the crafty book section. I also encountered a chicken in the YA section.
I'm a sucker for pets at bookstores. In college I frequented a bookstore that had two cats, Hardback and Softie. My friend who owns The Haunted Bookshop in Iowa City also has store cats.
Chinchilla at Wild Rumpus
Chinchilla I made for Master Butcher's Singing Club Quilt
YA fans don't fear. They have a great selection of all the books you love. I even saw some hard covers in the 50% off section. They have a small used book section where you can score books for $1.00. I managed to get Gregor and the Code of the Claw by Suzanne Collins.
The cave at the right is where they keep the "scary" books. Vampires, ghosts and other scary things live in there. Be sure to look through the window on the floor because a pair of rats makes their home here too.
Other purchases include The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle. I borrowed this book from a friend but enjoyed it so much I wanted my own copy. There is a second book in the series as well and I hear she is working on the third book.
I also bought Julia Gillian (and the Dream of the Dog) by Alison McGhee. Julia lives in the uptown area of Minneapolis. In one illustration in this book she is wearing a Minnesota Twins jersey. I love seeing this area of the city through Julia's eyes.
W is also for writing which is what I need to do now.
What is your favorite book store? Does your favorite bookstore have pets?
5 comments:
Oh my gosh, I want to go to this place. I love the name alone, and love the doors, how cute. The chinchilla is adorable. I've never been to a book store with a pet, I'm totally missing out.
excellent place to celebrate for your W, has been great getting to know you from a-z
LOVE Wild Rumpus. We're in Minneapolis every summer, and we always make a Wild Rumpus stop with the girls. They love the door and the animals.
There's a bookstore in Benson, AZ. I can't remember the name, but it's way out in the desert. It's in this woman's house, and she has this amazing collection of books. I think she's been written up in the NY Times kind of thing. It's kind of a farm setup, and there are animals all over the place. Very cool place.
This bookstore looks awesome! I especially like that it has two doors. The closest one to my house is Barnes and Noble, and frankly, I'm not sure there are many small bookstores near where I live. Maybe I should look into that.
It's an alien concept to me to have books and little critters in the same space. If I went into such a store, I'd be thinking about the possible effects the animals might have on the books. I'm going to assume though that they are controlled in some way? Again, an alien concept for me. :D
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