Matthew Cordell

A young girl attempts to get her family's attention in this picture-book from author/artist Matthew Cordell, only to find that everyone is too absorbed in their electronic devices to pay her any attention. She wanders out into the real world, where her "hellos" to various flora and fauna result in a wild, exultant horseback ride. Returning home, she presents little tokens to her family-members, wooing them out into the world as well...

I enjoyed hello! hello!, which pairs a minimal text with show more incredibly expressive artwork. Cordell, who won a Caldecott Medal earlier this year (2018) for his Wolf in the Snow, at first depicts his main character and her world with a limited color palette, utilizing subtler shades and lots of white space on the page. The colors get bolder and more profuse as the story progresses, until the two-page "Hello, World" spread presents an explosion of color and excitement. This change parallels the story in an effective way, highlighting how much we miss, when we stay glued to electronic devices, instead of looking at the natural world around us. This one would make a good companion piece to Patrick McDonnell's Tek: The Modern Cave Boy, which also features a story about the drawbacks of staying permanently connected to one's devices. Recommended to Matthew Cordell fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories about stepping away from electronic gadgets and getting out into nature. show less

A little girl on her way home from school and a young wolf cub who lags behind his pack both find themselves lost in the snow in this mostly wordless picture-book from Matthew Cordell, eventually finding one another in the storm. When the wolf cub can no longer walk, sinking helplessly into the snow, the girl carries him in her arms, restoring him to his mother. When she herself becomes too tired to go on, the wolves' howling alerts her dog and parents, out searching for her, to her show more location.

A sweet tale of cross-species understanding and mutual aid, Wolf In the Snow is told almost exclusively through Cordell's artwork, created using pen and ink and watercolor. There are a few sound words - barking and howling, to be precise - but the humans, whether author/artist or characters, remain silent. As someone who loves winter vistas, I found the illustrations here appealing, and found the girl's bright red parka - a reference to Little Red Riding Hood, perhaps? - a particularly nice touch. Recommended to anyone looking for new winter stories for children, as well as to anyone searching for wordless picture-books. show less

Davy was happy as an only child, with all of his parents' love and attention. Then a younger brother named Petey arrived. And then another one, named Mike. One by one, more brothers showed up, until Davy was the eldest of twelve! Suddenly, he was never alone - always shadowed by his younger brothers, always being imitated, until he was fed up. But would being left alone turn out as happily as he'd thought?

This is a 'new sibling' book with a vengeance! I don't think I've ever seen an example show more of the story type quite like Another Brother, which features a very large (sheep) family indeed. The humor builds, as each new brother arrives, and culminates with the scenes in which all the brothers' names are listed together, as they follow Davy around. There is a certain poignancy to the moment when our ovine hero finally gets his wish, and a corresponding pleasure, when his first little sister arrives. Matthew Cordell's story is well constructed, and his artwork, done in pen and ink and watercolor, humorous. Recommended to anyone looking for a 'new sibling' story with a slightly different sensibility. show less

Davy is a sheep and a happy only child. Then comes little brother Petey, then Mike, then Stu, then Mickey, then Carl, Pip, Ralph, Tate, Lenny, Gil Ned, and Bob. Phew. Most of us do not have 12 younger siblings, but we all know having a little bro or sis follow your every move is annoying. Matthew Cordell’s illustrations are full of hilarious details that children will want to pore over again and again. I especially love this wordless spread showing all the ways Davy is copied.

There is a show more surprise ending in store for the reader, too. One that’s not too sweet, but shows that while little siblings can be annoying, they’re also very lovable.

This book is is great, but the illustrations are too small for story time. Recommended for older siblings. show less