Starred review from November 29, 2021
Three generously illustrated chapters give Caldecott Medalist Cordell plenty
of space to develop the friendship of two mouse friends who react differently to winter’s approach, and he wastes none of it. Conscientious Cornbread, who prepares diligently for cold and lack, wears plaid overalls and a worker’s cap, while Poppy, who has spent the foraging season engaging in adventures, sports coveralls and a pink kerchief. When it turns out that Poppy has collected nothing and the food is long gone, Cornbread—no less fond of his pal for her lack of planning—offers to help her find food, and even promises to search with her on Holler Mountain, a forbidding wilderness with slippery rocks and owls that eat mice (another mouse who traversed it “was never seen or heard from since”). Cordell’s loose, Steig-like ink line makes emotions easy to read as the duo’s interplay builds, Poppy marching blissfully along and Cornbread furrowing his brow. Their well-built adventure, the story’s back half, offers exertion, discouragement, and a wonderfully improbable change of fortune, with just enough suspense to keep readers engaged. Ages 4–8. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.
Starred review from May 15, 2022
Two mouse best friends approach life differently. Cornbread's an organized, detail-oriented planner; he gathered his winter food supplies and stocked his shelves in advance: No risk taker, he. Not so pal Poppy. She's always busy biking, hiking, and having adventures. "Nah, I'll do it later," is her motto. Unfortunately, she realizes too late that "later" has arrived and she's got nothing put by. After searching, she and Cornbread discover there's no food left anywhere. The only solution, Poppy concludes, is to forage on Holler Mountain, a dreaded place where no one dares venture. Cornbread doesn't want Poppy to make the fearsome trek alone, so they bravely climb together. The terrified pair have some very unexpected encounters, including with a long-presumed-gone friend, who happens to possess a vast supply of food, which she generously shares with Poppy. When they arrive home, Cornbread's perspectives on fun have changed! This cute, easy chapter book is a gently humorous tale about steadfast friends with opposite personalities. The bond between the murine buddies is sweet and convincing, and children will enjoy the friends' lively exploits. Cordell's trademark loose artwork, rendered in pen and ink with watercolor, is energetic and wonderfully captures gray Cornbread's and tan Poppy's activities, easy camaraderie, and expressive faces. Many illustrations appear as panels and insets. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A delightful new series gets off to a charming start. (Early chapter book. 4-8)
COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from March 1, 2022
Cornbread & Poppy at the Carnival by Matthew Cordell; illus. by the author Primary Little, Brown 80 pp. g 6/22 978-0-759-55489-4 $15.99 Paper ed. 978-0-759-55490-0 $6.99 e-book ed. 978-0-316-16899-1 $9.99 In the first two books of a beginning reader series, Cordell (Wolf in the Snow, rev. 11/16; Bear Island, rev. 3/21) introduces two mice who are best friends sharing adventures. The series starter, Cornbread & Poppy, begins as a takeoff on Aesop's "Ant and the Grasshopper," with responsible Cornbread's pantry stocked for winter and fun-loving Poppy facing shortages. The tale continues with a trek into the mountains -- and a new (old) friend encounter. Carnival is slightly lower-stakes, centering on a carnival visit where Cornbread refuses to go on most of the rides. In each book, three short chapters set up, continue, and then resolve the friends' manageable problems. Cordell's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are textured and appealing, supporting the texts and illuminating vocabulary that might be out of sight-word range for new readers building fluency. Words are occasionally lettered into the illustrations to heighten action ("SHRIEK!" and "SCREAM!" at the carnival) and give readers more to think about and explore. Cordell resists making the pals stock characters -- sometimes Cornbread steps up to be the brave one and Poppy's the one who's nervous. With these two gentle and nuanced explorations of friendship, this duo is well set up for future outings. Adrienne L. Petinelli
(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
March 1, 2022
Cornbread & Poppy at the Carnival by Matthew Cordell; illus. by the author Primary Little, Brown 80 pp. g 6/22 978-0-759-55489-4 $15.99 Paper ed. 978-0-759-55490-0 $6.99 e-book ed. 978-0-316-16899-1 $9.99 In the first two books of a beginning reader series, Cordell (Wolf in the Snow, rev. 11/16; Bear Island, rev. 3/21) introduces two mice who are best friends sharing adventures. The series starter, Cornbread & Poppy, begins as a takeoff on Aesop's "Ant and the Grasshopper," with responsible Cornbread's pantry stocked for winter and fun-loving Poppy facing shortages. The tale continues with a trek into the mountains -- and a new (old) friend encounter. Carnival is slightly lower-stakes, centering on a carnival visit where Cornbread refuses to go on most of the rides. In each book, three short chapters set up, continue, and then resolve the friends' manageable problems. Cordell's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are textured and appealing, supporting the texts and illuminating vocabulary that might be out of sight-word range for new readers building fluency. Words are occasionally lettered into the illustrations to heighten action ("SHRIEK!" and "SCREAM!" at the carnival) and give readers more to think about and explore. Cordell resists making the pals stock characters -- sometimes Cornbread steps up to be the brave one and Poppy's the one who's nervous. With these two gentle and nuanced explorations of friendship, this duo is well set up for future outings. Adrienne L. Petinelli
(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from December 15, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* As winter's first snowflakes fall, a well--organized mouse named Cornbread feels content that he has enough food to last through the season. His friend Poppy, who always chooses play over work, has gathered very little. She proposes a scary solution: foraging on Holler Mountain. Thinking about its slippery rocks and predatory owls, they both shiver, but with no alternative, they pull a wagon up the mountainside. Along the way, they meet a vegetarian owl, who offers a lift to a friend's cabin. There Ms. Ruthie, a former neighbor, welcomes the mice, talks with them, and turns their wagon into a sled filled with her surplus foods. The grateful friends ski back home and restock Poppy's shelves. Readers expecting a predictable moral similar to that in Aesop's "The Grasshopper and the Ant" will particularly enjoy the unexpected twist at the story's end. While tales about "two good friends" are a long tradition in beginning-reader books, Cordell takes the convention and makes it his own. The well-differentiated main characters are equally likeable, and both are able to shift their views, based on their experiences. The text flows well, while the lively ink-and-watercolor illustrations deftly create settings and clearly reveal characters' emotions. A rewarding choice for young readers.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
January 1, 2022
In the first two books of a beginning reader series, Cordell (Wolf in the Snow, rev. 11/16; Bear Island, rev. 3/21) introduces two mice who are best friends sharing adventures. The series starter, Cornbread & Poppy, begins as a takeoff on Aesop's "Ant and the Grasshopper," with responsible Cornbread's pantry stocked for winter and fun-loving Poppy facing shortages. The tale continues with a trek into the mountains -- and a new (old) friend encounter. Carnival is slightly lower-stakes, centering on a carnival visit where Cornbread refuses to go on most of the rides. In each book, three short chapters set up, continue, and then resolve the friends' manageable problems. Cordell's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are textured and appealing, supporting the texts and illuminating vocabulary that might be out of sight-word range for new readers building fluency. Words are occasionally lettered into the illustrations to heighten action ("SHRIEK!" and "SCREAM!" at the carnival) and give readers more to think about and explore. Cordell resists making the pals stock characters -- sometimes Cornbread steps up to be the brave one and Poppy's the one who's nervous. With these two gentle and nuanced explorations of friendship, this duo is well set up for future outings.
(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)