While a dozen Twin Cities indies contacted last week by PW reported that they have tweaked daily operations in response to ICE’s presence there, two children’s bookstores—Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis and Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul—are dealing with another level of issues, including author cancellations, families hunkering down at home, and local schools offering remote instruction.
Both stores are maintaining regular hours and story time schedules. While Wild Rumpus co-owner Timothy Otte said that the goal is for “our store to be a refuge for those who need it,” Red Balloon’s Holly Weinkauf maintained that “one of the most important things we can do and are doing right now—in addition to getting books to the increasing number of kids staying home from school—is to continue being a place of joy for our kids, families, and community.”
Red Balloon reported no significant impact on either foot traffic or sales, but traffic and sales are down slightly at Wild Rumpus. “All of us at Wild Rumpus are more concerned for the well-being and safety of our neighbors than we are about sales,” Ott said, but added, “Commerce is what keeps us here and pays the bills.” Sales are “a touch down,” he said, and he believes that trend “will compound unless ICE leaves.”
Otte noted that on January 14, a “high-profile author” whom he declined to identify canceled an upcoming visit to Minneapolis schools in partnership with Wild Rumpus. The author, Otte said, “explicitly named a fear of ICE’s presence as the reason for the cancellation. Our education programming was one of the biggest areas of growth for us in 2025, so to start 2026 by losing a major author stings.” The publisher offered virtual school visits and signed book plates, “but we simply won’t see as many sales. We stand by the author’s decision, but it’s concerning to think about what 2026 looks like if more authors decide not to come to Minneapolis.”
On the other side of the Mississippi River, Weinkauf said that Jasmine Warga canceled a visit that was scheduled for January 9, to promote The Claiming: The Last Resort #2 (Scholastic). Warga was going to appear at an in-store event as well as visit St. Paul schools. Scholastic did not provide a reason for what it termed a postponement of her stop in the Twin Cities, but, Weinkauf pointed out, “It’s pretty obvious why.”
During such a time of “uncertainty and anxiety,” she said, customers regard Red Balloon as a source for information and resources, including anti-ICE signs and whistles created by a local artisan who makes 3-D fidget toys. A stack of “lovely” posters created by Meenal Patel, a local children’s author-illustrator, “were gone within a few hours of being set out.”
Red Balloon is also working with individuals and organizations to provide Spanish-language books to families who are keeping their school-aged children at home. “We’re using our Red Balloon Connects funds in some circumstances,” Weinkauf said, and the store is selling books at a discount to organizations that have raised funds.
“If there’s a positive side to all this,” Weinkauf said, “it’s that this has reinforced to all of us the importance of community. We’re seeing our community show up in great ways. It’s beautiful to see.”
