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. K-Gr 3-Best friends Cornbread and Poppy, two mice, are an odd couple. Cornbread is carefully preparing for winter, but Poppy is "not one to worry." In events reminiscent of Aesop's "The Ants and the Grasshopper" fable, Poppy decides to forage for supplies too late. The friends visit all their neighbors, but there is nothing left, so they decide to brave the dangers of Holler Mountain. Although the trip is dangerous, Poppy and Cornbread draw courage from their closeness. Each scene reveals more of the character's personalities; Cornbread's careful planning (complete with clipboard) is contrasted with Poppy's breezy, procrastinating attitude. Cordell's charming pen-and-ink illustrations with watercolor lend a feeling of coziness to this tale of friends who are different. Their facial expressions range from delighted smiles as they enjoy bike rides together to wide-eyed shrieks of terror as they confront the dangers of the mountain. A sense of suspense moves readers from one chapter to the next, as does the thrill of a winged shadow looming over the duo, or the delight when they discover an old acquaintance. Short sentences and repetition of key phrases make the story easy to follow for those transitioning to early chapter books, while the art clearly captures the emotional tone. VERDICT A perfect choice for fans of Jacqueline Davies's "Sydney and Taylor" series, and other dynamic duos.-Suzanne Costnerα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Praise for the Cornbread & Poppy series: An IndieBound Bestseller  A 2022 Kirkus Best Children's Book A Horn Book 2022 Summer Reading List pick An Amazon Best Books of the Year for Ages 6-8 for 2022  A Junior Library Guild pick A Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Younger Readers for 2022 pick An ABA’s 2022 Best Book For Young Readers Catalog pick A Tiny Beans Best New Chapter Books for Kids of 2022 A Connecticut Nutmeg Award nominee A Cybils Award finalist A Nerdy Book Club Best of 2022 pick  A School Library Journal Early Chapter Book List pick  A 2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center Children’s Choices list pick  A Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Books of 2022 pick A 2023 Bank St College Best Books pick An International Youth Library White Raven A Sunshine State Young Reader Awards nominee * "The lively ink-and-watercolor illustrations deftly create settings and clearly reveal characters’ emotions. 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 * “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."― Horn Book, starred review * "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.... Delightful."― Kirkus, starred review * "Cordell’s loose, Steig-like ink line makes emotions easy to read as the duo’s interplay builds.... Their well-built adventure…offers exertion, discouragement, and a wonderfully improbable change of fortune."― Publishers Weekly, starred review "No need to visit a museum to find an exhibit of best friendship; see it on display right here."― Kirkus “Brimming with imagination, energy, and wit. Just right for young readers.”  ― Booklist “Every scene comes to life in [Cordell’s] expressive pen-and-ink drawings."― Booklist "Cord