Cornbread & Poppy

An IndieBound Bestseller • An Amazon Best Book of the Year • A 2022 Kirkus Best Children's Book

★ "A rewarding choice for young readers."—Booklist, starred review

★"Cornbread and Poppy are endearing characters, poised to join the ranks of other memorable early reader sets of best friends old and new, including James Marshall's George and Martha."—Bookpage, starred review

★ "Delightful."—Kirkus, starred review
​
Caldecott medalist Matthew Cordell debuts his first early reader series about two best friends who are as different from each other as can be.

Cornbread LOVES planning. Poppy does not. Cornbread ADORES preparing. Poppy does not. Cornbread IS ready for winter. Poppy...is not. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when Poppy is left without any food for the long winter, Cornbread volunteers to help her out. Their search leads them up, up, up Holler Mountain, where these mice might find a new friend...and an old one. Celebrating both partnership and the value of what makes us individuals, young readers will find this classic odd-couple irresistible as they encounter relatable issues with humor and heart. 

Publishing simultaneously in hardcover and paperback.

Matthew Cordell has illustrated many books for children including works of poetry, novels, and picture books, like Bob Not Bob!, Leaps and Bounce, and Rooting for You! He has also created numerous picture books himself including Hope, Wish, Dream, Hello, Neighbor! The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers, Bear Island, and Wolf in the Snow, which was awarded the 2018 Caldecott Medal. Matthew lives in suburban Chicago with his wife, author, Julie Halpern, and their two children.