Wild Rumpus Books

Wild Rumpus is great! What a fun bookstore for kids and adults alike. Oozing with imagination and whimsy, great selection of books, and the kids always love interacting with the resident cats, birds, and lizards. Love this place and we’ll be back again and again.

Great selection of kids' books including a section by local authors. Could not be more charming. Lovely staff, including the cats.

Such a gorgeous and wonderful shopping experience. Bookstore is mainly geared towards younger and teen readers, but they definitely have a lot of options across (and beyond the spectrum). The store's decorations are so ridiculously cool with a ceiling decorated to look like cracked ice, a magical bathroom, and a haunted looking shed. Truly perfect. Thank you for existing, Wild Rumpus.

Awesome selection of kids books. The atmosphere is real cool. Probably one of the greater selection of kids books I found.

Wild Rumpus is a hidden gem in Linden Hills. It's a very special children's bookstore that reminds you of the bookstores in movies. It's magical and cozy and busy and fun! We love Wild Rumpus!

A visual feast! Aimed at kids of all ages, but every nook, cranny, and corner of Wild Rumpus is so loaded with art, animals, and CHARACTER that adults should stop in for a look too. There is a mounted fox head (crocheted), a canoe riding the ceiling river rapids, a spooky shack for the young witches and wizards, animals to pet, animals to watch, puppets to excite the imagination, themed sections to help kids find more in their special interests, and the entry contained a door-within-a-door! Talk about a surefire winner with the younger crowd! The adult section was smaller, but based on the books in it I have read it was wonderfully curated to the point I felt comfortable picking one at random. As a reader I also want to draw special attention to the fact they had a section specifically for organizing all books in popular series, so kids can easily find book 7 of 9 in their favorite series (or whatever their collection might be missing).

Charming Local Bookstore with a Fairytale Twist This local bookstore caught my eye with its uniquely designed front door, perfectly crafted for both adults and kids to enter—it feels like stepping right into a storybook! Inside, the whimsical decor continues, evoking scenes straight out of a fairytale. It’s a magical space where every corner invites you to explore, making it the perfect place for book lovers of all ages.

This place is awesome! I lived in Minneapolis for fifteen years, still visit a few times per year, and I just learned of it this summer. Amazing selection of books, in a whimsical setting, sure to appeal to your family as much as it did mine!

Holy cow this is the BEST children's bookstore I have ever been to (coming from an adult with no kids)! There are so many books for all ages and the decor is amazing! This was a place my husband grew up going to whenever his family visited the Twin Cities and returning brought back so many memories for him. We had a great time looking at the books hidden in their nooks, taking in the decor, and saying "hi" to the bookshop pets. Bring your kids here for lifelong memories, or visit to make new ones! *Tip: Take a peek inside the bathroom with the lights off.

An escape from reality in the middle of the city! This book store is amazing. It's mainly children's books - but they do have a small YA/new adult section. We could spend hours in here! The staff is always friendly, and the books are cheaper then expected in a place this fantastic. I love wild rumpus.

This is an amazing bookstore for kids. They have a range of books from board books to YA books. The atmosphere is incredible. There are two cats, a mourning dove, a cockatiel, and some sort of lizard. The ceiling looks like a river runs through it with a boat sailing on it. It made me wish my daughters were still little.

What a great book store! So many books! Cute decor! Cats roaming. Other animals in cages. Lots to see and enjoy inside. Love the front door- there's a small size for kids or full size for parents. So fun! Parking can be tricky - only street parking. Masks are still required - even for children and those who are vaccinated.

As a parent who wants to make sure his kids are into reading from the start, it takes constant work to refresh and upgrade our book inventory. Wild Rumpus is seemingly tiny storefront off the main drag in Linden Hills. However, once inside, the place is massive and feels like you are inside a kids adventure book. There is a large variety of books for whatever you are looking for and there books and books everywhere. You will definitely find what you are looking for and if you don't find the one specific title you are seeking, there will be other books that fit the bill. Staff is here is nice as well.

Just one question: Why would you keep a cat THAT BITES in a CHILDREN'S bookstore? My seven year old daughter left the store in tears after she was bitten by one of the cats. She approached the cat gently with her hand extended and it reached out and bit her. The storekeepers had no reaction and no sympathy. They didn't even do anything to deter a toddler who approached the cat just a few minutes after my daughter was bitten! We used to love this bookstore and recommended it far and wide, so this was kind of heartbreaking for both my daughter and myself.

If i was a kid, i probably break into this store when it's closed coz i would never want to leave. The attention to detail on the interior decoration is so geared for little ones to completely and utterly fall in love with. Little couches, little chairs, little nooks to discover, and ANIMALS? What's not to love? It's a rumpus in here, no wait.... a Wild Rumpus. First thing I noticed when entering was the littler entrance door for children and maybe the local Minneapolis hobbits. The ceiling was like a scene out of a book. Right away you'll notice the cats freely roaming around. Every corner has something to discover. There's a ferret, bird, pet (big) spider, pet rats, and an ant farm. There's a wooden shed with clear glass floors to see skeletons below! A corner awaits for little ones to curl up with their book(s). The subjects and topics carried by the store was commendable. The store carries not-so-easy topics about modern day adult stuff. I did not hear one kid sighing or saying they wanted to leave. All cries on why they have to leave.

Oh my gosh, what an incredibly whimsical bookstore. And the whimsy starts with the front door that is painted purple (I'm pretty sure it was purple). But there were actually two doors (that both opened), a small one for children and a normal sized one for the adult humans. I, of course, had to go through the small door. I wanted the full experience. The bookstore is insanely adorable. The book selection is fantastic. The decor is amazing and the staff is super nice. Walking in you want to look at ALL the books and you want to explore the whole store. And yes, they do have live animals (they're in cages...mostly). The front of the store is for your younger readers. As you make your way through to the back of the store, there are books for older readers. I could've spent all day in that bookstore probably. So many books I just wanted to explore and look at more. Great place for gifts or to take children. TLDR: definitely worth checking out especially for children

Wild Rumpus is one of THE BEST children's bookstores. The staff are super knowledge and extremely helpful - even during Covid times they have been quick to respond to any email I sent with questions regarding selection. The bookstore carries a wide selection of books, including Spanish kids books. I have found that Wild Rumpus has a wider selection of Spanish book publishers than other local bookstores - lots of NubeOcho! When a book is not in the store they will order it for you and let you know when it arrives. Covid pickup is also a breeze- they set the bag outside their door and you can run up and grab it. I only hope the store will open again soon so we can experience the magic of in-person shopping at Wild Rumpus!

I can't imagine a better all-children's books store. The sheer quantity and range of choices were almost overwhelming--a great problem to have. I kept turning around and finding new possibilities: "Oh, [author that we like] has a bunch of books we've never heard of. Let's pick one out!" We try to space out new books for our toddler daughter to keep them each special, but we struggled to limit ourselves to only four selections. As a bonus, there are animals such as caged birds and ferrets, and a freaky headless ninja chicken that roams the shop. I wish that we had a place like this in Chicago.

Perfect MN day. An afternoon in Linden Hills. First stop Wild Rumpus. My daughter has grown up through the pages of this unique little book store. I first brought here here when she could barely walk as a toddler and she loved it. A decade later it's still a favorite. She's a tween and barely fits through the "kid" door, but it's a must do. Then there's the cats, chickens, chinchillas, tarantula, and doves that live within the book store that are oh so fun to find. I love the wide age selection of books and never leave without a new treasure and book to read.

This store makes me wish I was a little kid again. As a bookstore enthusiast I love all the passion put into children's books and imagination at this store. Along with all of the wonders this bookstore has to offer for children they also carry teen and some adult literature. A huge bonus for animal lovers, this bookstore has animals galore! There's everything from cats to ferrets to a chicken at Wild Rumpus to entertain and educate children about animals. I will always highly recommend Wild Rumpus to anyone that's looking for a fun, iconic Minneapolis bookstore to explore, no matter if your 5 or 105 years old!

Too cute! We stopped in just to see the cats lol but we quickly fell in love with the whole store! What a great idea with a huge selection of books. It was a fun store. The animals are a huge bonus. We found 1 cat and he was so friendly! My son picked out a few new books for the summer and is asking to go back!

Love the place!!! So cute decor, great selection of book, relaxing and down right comfortable. Cat on the ottoman, birds singing in the back, not only book... interactive things around to keep little brain busy and exploring.

Wow what a cool bookstore. And yeah, it's a kids bookstore but only mostly! There's a small adult section so I bought some books I'd been meaning to read to help support them. Also shoutout to the 3 cats, the chinchilla, the weasel, the rat, and the various birds who all live there.

Cats, chickens, tarantulas, an African lizard, and who knows what else is chilling in the coolest bookstore EVER. And, yeah, it's a children's bookstore, but I dare you to enter and not wish you were little again or not get swept away in thinking that you can fit through the little purple door as you leave. You can spend a ton of time browsing through the racks upon racks of books...but they could be a little stronger in the foreign language section (but at least they have them!) Bring you kids for the reading groups and story hour (sorry, I don't know the details of these, but do call). Hanging out here is an exciting, fun, and educational way to spend some time with your kids. They're sure to be excited about books after leaving here!

The moment my 14 year-old got hold of an iPod, she set down her books for good. Er, unless we revoked the iPod, that is, because her grades were slipping or something. Then she'd return to old fashioned books, fleetingly, for a few chapters, maybe. But if she could exist in her own media wonderland, it would be digital and stuck in a cloud. This bodes very, very badly for independent bookstores, especially because our daughter actually loves books. I've met a lot of kiddos in my time, and Aura is without question one of the nosiest bookworms of the lot; just a year ago, we'd bring home a haul from the library and she'd have the stack finished over a weekend. Her imagination, curiosity and thirst for adventure was unquenchable. But books don't "like" you. They don't post pictures, or check in, or let you choose an emoticon. They're far to real, honestly, to care. Swinging through the vines of the Wild Rumpus rainforest, this attitude - an insistence on being Real - inhabited the place. Aptly titled, the Rumpus hops on a boat out to sea and never looks back to the shore. It plays games in the trees with a kid named Max and doesn't give a damn whether you care. It's a wonderland of books for peeps of all ages - and I do want to emphasize this, as the latest from Stephen Colbert sat on the front window - but the focus is on the kids, obviously, since our habits, good and bad, begin in those formative years. Feathered friends, creepy crawlies, soft purr balls and other creatures peep at you from the underbrush, and something's always happening on the other end of the island. Perhaps this is precisely the attitude the independent bookstore must adopt as our content finds itself on electronic devices, rather than the worn pages of loved books. It certainly appears to be a successful model for Wild Rumpus. As we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of a couple of little girls - younger, maybe 8 and 10 - entering the shop with an exuberance I've never witnessed in my life. So maybe they, and an army of others, are learning to disconnect from the digital realm and use their personal wiring to enjoy the world. But somehow, I don't quite buy it, and I'm really frightened about the future of the book. Thanks for trying to keep the dream alive, Wild Rumpus.

It absolutely lives up to the hype. Some thoughts, in no particular order, about my visit with my 7-year-old: There is a canoe making its way through beautifully crafted breaking ice. On the ceiling. My 7-year-old attempted to pet a chicken. (We had a talk about why this is generally a Bad Idea, but the chicken took it in stride.) The staff! So sweet and helpful and accommodating. The place is simply bursting with books. Books everywhere. Big books, small books, in every crack and crevice, glittering like gems. It feels like something out of Harry Potter. I think this is what an indie bookshop on Diagon Alley must look like. And I love how they have them organized. You simply have to see this for yourself. My space-obsessed 7-year-old found an entire section devoted to space and spent a blissful half-hour happily reading several space books on a cozy cushion in a back corner (we bought two of the books). For reference, this is a child who regularly erupts with random space facts at odd intervals. ("Mama! Did you know that there are earthquakes on the moon? Only they are not called earthquakes; they are called 'moonquakes.'") I got lost in a section on fairy tales and bedtime books for an additional 20 minutes. Again, there is an entire wall of JUST fairy-tale, bedtime, read-aloud, classic children's stories. Robinson Crusoe. Peter Pan. Classic Pooh. I want to buy these for myself to relive my childhood. We'll be back. I can't wait until my 8-month-old twins are old enough to enjoy this shop.

Any business that has Chickens indiscriminately wandering around is ok with me. Since all the Mpls libraries are closed on Mondays (lame), there are no story times to go on these days, but the Rumpus has "tale time" on Monday mornings to make up for it. It's well done, but very crowded, and the few seats are fought over pretty violently. The place needs a lot more space. While most bookstores can get away with that cramped bookstore feel, this place gets way more traffic than your average little book store, including children and wild animals (an indoor chicken run?).

Independent bookstore with cats, chickens, a Halloween play area, and a cute purple door. What's not to love?!

Probably are favorite book store. We love the animals and the characteristics of the building. We wish it was closer and not in Minneapolis where parking is a premium.

The first time I visited this store, my friend demonstrated how to use the kid-size cut out in the entrance, so I stooped and stepped inside. Even the front door is quirky and fun, just like the whole store. I don't have anything to add to these rave reviews except a couple pics of this enormous orange cat!

A must stop for any family on vacation. I cannot tell you what joy this brought my family. A unique small book store that catapults you into an amazing wonderland. The decors was exciting and embraced the child within all of us adults. There were animals throughout the store that added to the imaginative experience. But the real gem was their ability to be on the cutting edge of their book selection. We left with a full armload of knowledge on social justice, racial reconciliation, and even ADHD-targeted to and for children, adults should also experience these books. Leaving the store is the hardest part. You are hit with the reality of what our world is. If only we could stay in the unique fantasy world which is this incredible book store, continue to pet the sleepy black chicken, and watch children forget about what video games are. Please take your family, you won't regret it.

I love this place like Joe Mauer loves homeruns. Perhaps one of my favorite places in Minnesota of all time, Wild Rumpus is bursting with creativity and imagination and love -- for books and animals and pint sized people. Time to share your heart and time and love for books. Life gives us very few of these places. Enjoy the painted ceiling and murals, the collection of live animals, the plethora of good books, the overstuffed furniture, and the dreams of a brain (or several brains) run amok in a store for all to enjoy.

I had never heard of this place until my friend brought me here a few weeks ago. Was I deprived as a child? I think other reviewers have done a great job at describing the magical nature of this shop. Little animals everywhere to pet (and maybe get freaked out by if you are bit animal-skittish, chinchillas, mice, etc) Female staff member REALLY went above and beyond to help us find the type of books we wanted for a small relative (you know, the kind that have tabs to pull?) She brought us about 15 choices, took about 15 minutes with us, we ended up getting 3! I love how they sort the books out by very specific categories: Fairies, Scandinavian mythology, etc.

Such and awesome idea for a kid's bookstore: Find a place with a magical, winding layout, fill it with awesome books and toys, and then add a handful of cats and other animals throughout the store. This place is simply magical.

This bookstore is a blast. My son and daughter love this place. We got a bunch of fun activities. I also found a book for me!

I didn't originally plan on stopping in but after brunch at the Harriet Brasserie boyfriend and I walked by. There was a cat laying by the door which drew me in. It was very friendly. There was another cat by the entrance that was enjoying being pet by a little boy supervised by his mom. There were tons of creative, kid friendly books. My favorite part of the store was in the back where there were doves and cockatiels. Soooo adorable.

What a magical space. I could spend hours here, amongst the creatures (fluffy black chicken!), reading and imagining. The perfect place to pick out a gift for your favorite bookworm. Limited adult section, but not so limited I wasn't able to find 3 books to buy

Super friendly staff, great selection, kid-sized door on the way in/out, they have animals (like, a chicken!) in the store...I don't think I can add much to what others here have said about how great this place is. I live in St. Paul and I make the 20+ minute drive here because of how great the overall experience is. In most bookstores I take pictures of books to buy from Amazon later. Here, I buy. I love Wild Rumpus and my kids do too. We'll be back, for sure.

A must-do when visiting Minneapolis with kids. We had family in from Manhattan including my 7 and 9 year old nephews who kept telling me how their favorite book store was "Barnes and Noble"... I said, "okay, just wait and see." Now keep in mind these boys are from New York City and they have seen many cool places. After a trip to Wild Rumpus they were convinced it is the best kids bookstore in the country. They loved the kids door and of course all of the animals. They left each with a new "Goosebumps" novel.

Very cute place for kids! I wish the adult section was larger, but it's a wonderland for kids who like books. The animals are so adorable!

One of the coolest bookstores I've been to. My four-year-old niece and two-year-old nephew were with me and we could've spent hours there. From the child-size door at the entrance to the assortment of live animals this place is just fantastic. Their book selection is out of this world. I became overjoyed when I found some Choose Your Adventure books. It became difficult to restrain myself, but I purchased a couple nonetheless. I was in heaven the moment we stepped through the door. The atmosphere was thriving with energy, a small chicken that looked like it was wearing socks ran past my feet, and the staff was polite from the get go. The place just screams fun! The kids absolutely loved the fish tank/mirror in the bathroom. I mean a place has to be good when even the bathroom gets rave reviews! They even have a small, I mean one small bookshelf, for adults. The Linden Hills area in general was one of my favorite pitstops on our vacation. What a wonderful place.

I'm withholding the fifth stat bc it seems so obvious they need a second story hour. I've been going to story hour here for over eight years, and the crowd hasn't changed much over that time. It seems like at least 75% of the children at story hour are too young to even sit still for one book, let alone a full half hour. I understand! I've had babies! You want to get out of the house! But don't take them to a crazy crowded story hour aimed at toddlers and preschoolers. Plus the mothers and grandmothers and nannies bring in their giant car seats. For every nice group that will scoot over a bit to make room for more kids, there is another group ready to give you a death glare. Of course the story hour is totally awesome! (If you're old enough to sit still and be mostly quiet) The staff is amazing! The animals are too cool for words! Plus they have a great public bathroom. But please, WR, add another story time. Maybe aimed especially at the two and under crowd.

I love this place, even better my daughter loves this place. I don't know if its the kids door to enter or the great collection of books or the cats and chicken wandering around but it's a very kid friendly book store. There is a lot in the area for the parent in me but this is the stop for my daughter. Love it and will return often. KT

We absolutely LOVE this book store!! They have every book imaginable for every age group. We never leave without a good book! Prices are great and so is the staff. The animals help make reading and book shopping SO fun! Highly recommend this store!

This is one of my very favorite indie bookstores in the whole country (I work in publishing, so I visit a lot!). Great staff, adorable interior, and LOTS of animals (they have a chicken, in addition to cats & hamsters & lizards). A must-visit!!

I have visited this incredible bookstore many times when I was visiting Minneapolis and my children were young. They have a fantastic selection of children's books but most unique is there collection of animals always a crowdpleaser for anyone under the age of 10! On my recent trip to Minneapolis I was in need of a book to read on the airplane so I stopped in here hearing they had a few adult books as well So many people were there I thought an event was going on but no, just a Monday afternoon with lots of book shoppers. The adult section has been expanded and offers a variety of choices both in bestsellers and new releases. Also the young adult section is huge! My 13-year-old who used to love their children's books, now has a new section to peruse. Might just be, the best book store I have ever visited! See you again, on my next trip to Minneapolis!

Very unique little bookstore--where else will you find cats, chickens, birds and spiders while you pursue a love of books?

A gang of tailless cats? Check. A fat uromastyx sleeping in a tank on the counter? Check. A chinchilla named Mr. Skeeter? Duh. I said to my friend on the way there, "Oh, they have animals? Well, THEY BETTER HAVE A CHICKEN OR I'M OUT." Uh...check. Sure they mainly have kids books, but they also have a handful of adult books that are appropriate for teens. I worked at B&N for a super long time and never once had half the fun that the employees seemed to be having at Wild Rumpus. I mean, I actually heard one guy tell another employee that they didn't have to spend time behind the counter and that they should go read instead. It sounds like a good thing to encourage your employees to do on their downtime, but it would get you a butt whoopin' in a bigger chain store. Also, that same guy didn't make fun of me when I pointed at the chicken and said out loud (to absolutely no one) "HEY! It looks like a reverse tiger!" In fact, he agreed and said it was a great observation.

I am a grown up and I love coming up here. While I had a very happy childhood, I am extremely envious of American kids who got to spend their formative years visiting this store. Also, I wana have a baby soon, just so that I always will have a reason to come here. Maybe I am a kid at heart, but I love this place as much as I love Saks Fifth Ave. Books, all kinds of books, foreign language, puzzles, canoe on the ceiling, chickens, cats, more cats, pet lizard. Some may say its a little cramped, but I love it. There is nothing like being completely surrounded by books and furry friendly animals. It adds to the charm and the ambiance of the place. All of the staff here are amazing and I keep on coming back. Its the perfect place to take your little one for some reading time or if you need a gift, or simply if you need some pick me up, being around lizards is great for your health and well-being.

This is one of those places that everyone loves because it's got a basic necessity (books) with a super fun twist (animals!). Linden Hills is on the other side of the city from us but it was an adventure day so to Wild Rumpus we went! The kiddo listed off her must-see's during the drive: tarantula, chickens, ferrets and kitties. She didn't know about the hairless rats in the spooky book house! Wild Rumpus is like a tiny children's museum with books for everyone. Cozy nooks here and there, cool window displays, and details, details, details. I could spend all day in this place. When we were in on a Sunday afternoon the staff had an unfortunate computer issue that caused them to manually write down every ISBN. Still, they kept their cool. Their friendliness shown with apologetic smiles. The book shop brings on patience quite easily.

Best bookstore ever. Went with my 91 year old dad and my "cool" teenager. All of us were happy and entertained for over an hour. The staff was amazing. Helped us find a stack of great books even though we came without little kids. Animals! Very friendly kitty and a ridiculous chicken. Go and you'll feel like the King of all the Wild Things!

This bookstore has chickens!!! Wild Rumpus is such a fun place to visit, and I stop by every time I'm in Linden Hills. I love seeing all the animals happily hanging out in the store. They have a nice selection of children's books and the staff are very helpful. I have taken my nieces a couple of times and they were in little girl heaven. What kid wouldn't love such an imaginative, friendly and creative place? The kid-sized door is a sweet little touch. Oh, and did I mention that this bookstore has chickens?!?

I went to Wild Rumpus on a mission to get books for a niece and nephew for their birthday gifts. I parked a few blocks away, picked up a latte, and then posted up outside the shop before they opened, about 10 minutes early. By opening time, there were a dozen or so kids and their collateral adults hanging around outside the store. The kids all went in first, through the kid sized door, one of the oldest kids making sure the shop cat didn't get out (they're regulars). I walked around for a bit to take it all in and then got to business. I had ideas, but wanted someone to gut check my decisions. I wasn't clear on how the store was organized, so I asked at the front desk, and an employee who mentioned she's also a librarian (living her best life) helped me find the mystery shed. She helped me with my selections and showed me the reused books section in the back where I could find $1 copies of Choose Your Own Adventure books. I happily bought 3 books for each kid (assiduously avoiding looking at the tarantula case), and they were delighted. And, if for some reason they need to return any of the books, they will have fun on the errand. Pros: support your local bookstore, wonderful staff, fun criters, organized in a way helpful to children ("I want creepy books/I want to read about dragons/etc"). Cons: parking - it's not terrible, just know that Linden Hills is a cluster and you'll need to walk a few blocks with your little people; busy (at least on a Sunday when they open).

We brought the child here to search for a new pop-up book. And also because there are chickens. Without thinking I let my daughter bring the chunk of pear she was nibbling on into the store, which was obviously dumb. The chickens pecked her and one tried to steal the pear. I fear I may have traumatized my child. This would be unfortunate if we ever follow through on our plans for a backyard coop. It was pretty busy that day and we couldn't locate a staff member. It would have been nice because there didn't seem to be much of a rhyme or reason to how the books were organized. We'll be back for sure, just on a less busy day and sans fruit.

I love this place for the books (but then I love pretty much any bookstore), and the animals. It is pretty cool, and worth the trip if you have never been there. However, the reason for my 3 stars is the staff. We have been there a few times, and every time we go the staff are beyond unfriendly. Almost rude. They have NO interest in interacting with the customers any more than absolutely necessary when you are spending your money in the store. And they are most definitely not kid people. Too bad since it seems to be marketed to kids. Good thing they stock friendly animals otherwise there would be NO reason to go there.

My two boys and I love this store. However, I love it more than they do and could spend HOURS browsing the large selection of childrens books. And I'm an animal nut so I also enjoy chasing the chickens around and petting cats.

At first i didn't know what to think of this place. Sure, its in a cute neighborhood. Sure, its got the cute little kid door. Sure, it is chock full of books for kids of all ages. It even has a store chicken (chicken?) It also had cats and ferrets and who knows what all. But the little one was captivated. Its weeks later and I still hear all about her future plans to return to Wild Rumpus. Even if I hated the place, I would have to give it five stars. After all, it is a KIDS bookstore. Seeing as how I actually liked the place, the five stars are easy.