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

Cornbread and Poppy have been prepping for the upcoming cycling race for some time but with very different philosophies -- Cornbread just wants to have fun while Poppy is determined to win. When it comes down to race day, who will prevail?

This was another sweet addition to this series about a pair of friends with very different temperaments but a strong bond nonetheless. I was slightly skeptical about this one at first as it started with a tale of too-tight pants, but it all paid off in the show more end. There were a lot of great messages throughout, like how no one appreciates a sore winner (yes, I said that correctly) and how friendship is the ultimate win.

The gentle watercolor illustrations fit the tone of the story well. This book bridges the gap between shorter, more repetitive early readers longer, more complex chapter 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

"When will I find you?" is the plaintive, single line of text on a full-page illustration of a winter scene before the title page. The voice is Janie's, our first-person narrator, who has always dreamed of seeing an owl in real life. Her teacher, Mr. Koji, is a birder too, and with his advice, Janie does hear, then see, a pair of owls.

Quietly magical.

See also: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen