Bianca with Matthew Cordell on the Cornbread and Poppy Series

10/03/23 • 55 min

The Children's Book Review: Growing Readers Podcast

Matthew Cordell discusses the Cornbread and Poppy series. Cordell draws from his personal experiences to create playful and adventurous stories that kids will love. With Cornbread and Poppy, he focuses on building a cozy and entertaining world for beginning readers to explore. We hope you enjoy listening to this interview about his creative process!

Matthew Cordell is the author and illustrator of many celebrated picture books, including Hello, Neighbor!: The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers, and Wolf in the Snow, recipient of the 2018 Caldecott Medal. As an illustrator he has collaborated with many more authors including Gail Carson Levine, Philip C. Stead, and Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Matthew lives with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children in suburban Chicago.

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on ⁠The Children's Book Review⁠.

Order a Copy:

Poppy and Cornbread At the Museum on Amazon or Bookshop.org

Resources:

For more information about Matthew Cordell and his books, visit https://www.matthewcordell.com/.

Discussion Topics:

Matthew Cordell talks about:

His motivation for creating books for kids
Using personal experiences and observations to create stories
Shifting towards writing fun adventures as an escape from darker themes in children's literature
Improving writing skills through reading books for young readers, being around kids, and being immersed in the world of publishing
Showing, not telling in picture book storytelling
His love for loose and expressive art, particularly in pen and ink and watercolor
The characters of Cornbread and Poppy and how their contrasting traits complement each other
Creating endings that leave a lasting impact on readers
The friendship between Cornbread and Poppy and how they overcome their differences to make each other feel better
Providing a cozy and humorous world for readers to escape into while also pleasing both adult and child readers

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on ⁠The Children's Book Review⁠.

Order a Copy:

Poppy and Cornbread At the Museum on Amazon or Bookshop.org

Resources:

For more information about Matthew Cordell and his books, visit https://www.matthewcordell.com/.

Discussion Topics:

Matthew Cordell talks about:

His motivation for creating books for kids
Using personal experiences and observations to create stories
Shifting towards writing fun adventures as an escape from darker themes in children's literature
Improving writing skills through reading books for young readers, being around kids, and being immersed in the world of publishing
Showing, not telling in picture book storytelling
His love for loose and expressive art, particularly in pen and ink and watercolor
The characters of Cornbread and Poppy and how their contrasting traits complement each other
Creating endings that leave a lasting impact on readers
The friendship between Cornbread and Poppy and how they overcome their differences to make each other feel better
Providing a cozy and humorous world for readers to escape into while also pleasing both adult and child readers

Previous Episode

Bianca with Ellen Potter on Squirlish: The Girl in the Tree

Award-winning author Ellen Potter chats about her wonderful chapter book, Squirlish: The Girl in the Tree.

Get ready to laugh out loud as the story unfolds on how a girl raised by squirrels in Central Park attempts to make new human friends. Inspired by a friend raising a baby squirrel and her own life experiences, Ellen hopes readers will appreciate the value of finding one's own strengths no matter the community they find themselves in. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this fun-filled episode.

Ellen Potter is the author of more than twenty award-winning novels for children and young adults, including Olivia Kidney, Slob, the Big Foot and Little Foot series, the Piper Green and The Fairy Tree series, The Humming Room, Pish Posh, and The Kneebone Boy. Several of her books have been chosen by the New York Public Library for their Best 100 Books for Children list and have appeared on numerous state reading lists. Her nonfiction writing book, Spilling Ink, A Young Writer’s Handbook, coauthored with Anne Mazer, was also chosen by the New York Public Library as a Best 100 Books for Children. Ellen lives in upstate New York with her family.

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on ⁠The Children's Book Review.

Order a Copy:

Squirlish: The Girl in the Tree on Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Hither and Nigh on Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The Golden Imaginarium on ⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Resources:

For more information about Ellen and her books, visit EllenPotter.com.

Discussion Topics:

Ellen Potter talks about:

How she writes to delight kids and wants to transport them to another world through her stories.
That writing for kids is more fun than writing for adults.
Doing school visits to ignite a love of writing in children.
How writing is challenging, but she has developed strategies to get past those rough spots and move through the writing process.
The importance of revision and how her best writing has always come out in revision.
Methods for overcoming writer's block.
The inspiration behind Squirlish and how it came from a friend raising a baby squirrel.
How her own life experiences, such as her son going off to college, influenced the story.
Themes of fitting in and finding one's strengths in the first book and how they continue in the second book, which also touches on New York City history
Appreciating the value of finding one's own strengths.

Next Episode

Bianca with Abby Hanlon on Dory Fantasmagory: Can't Live Without You

In this episode of The Growing Reader's Podcast, Abby Hanlon talks about how she infuses authentic challenges into her Dory Fantasmagory chapter books, giving little ones a taste of real life through the pages of her books.

Abby Hanlon has taught creative writing and first grade in the New York City public school system. Inspired by her students' storytelling and drawings, Abby began to write her own stories for children, and taught herself to draw after not having drawn since childhood. She lives with her husband and two children in Brooklyn.

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on ⁠The Children's Book Review⁠.

Order a Copy:

Dory Fantasmagory: Can't Live Without You on Amazon or Bookshop.org.

Resources:

For more information about Abby Hanlon and her books, visit http://www.abbyhanlon.com/.

Discussion Topics:

Abby Hanlon talks about:

Her background in early education and her drive to create chapter books for young readers with relatable scenarios and humor
Incorporating realistic problems in her latest book
How she taught herself to draw and her raw style that kids can relate to
The relatable and boundary-pushing character of Dory in children's books
Accessibility and appeal of the illustrations in the Dory books, as well as the silly and relatable moments that kids enjoy
A theme in the latest book involving Mozart and death, based on a real-life experience
Fart jokes and quirky moments in the books
The importance of play in children's development and how the Dory books focus on play