Cornbread & Poppy at the Museum

July 1, 2023

Gr 1-3-Cordell's bosom friends return for their third adventure in this charming early chapter book series. Cornbread is over the moon when he receives an invitation to a Founders Gala at the Moonville Museum. The gourmet cheeses, curious exhibits, and general fancy atmosphere of the event is a perfect match for Cornbread's sensibilities. For a lover of adventure and wilderness like Poppy, though, the occasion is anathema. But she dusts off her best hat and puts her best foot forward to attend the gala as Cornbread's plus-one. Poppy's mettle is put to the test as she endures the museum attendants shouting "Bagoo! Bagoo!," holds her nose through the Molds and Fungi exhibit, and is the sudden recipient of attention when a surprising family connection is discovered. But a mishap with Cornbread and a treasured perfumed vase will prove that the two friends will always be there for each other. The fanciful character names and eccentric tone call the works of Lemony Snicket to mind, while Cordell's scratchy illustrations seem like descendants of Edward Gorey. While the text can stand on its own, it might be better appreciated if read alongside the rodent duo's previous escapades. VERDICT A twee answer to "Frog and Toad" that will serve readers of early chapter books looking for more literary fare.-Jose Cruz

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2023
The mouse BFFs are back. After trekking a mountain in Cornbread & Poppy (2022) and riding roller coasters in Cornbread & Poppy at the Carnival (2022), the murine buddies engage in more low-key pursuits. Cornbread is invited to the Founder's Gala at the Moonville Museum, where a "surprise new exhibit will be revealed." Guess who's his plus-one? When Cornbread arrives at Poppy's, she explains she's uninterested, and only when Cornbread reluctantly promises outdoorsy Poppy he'll go camping with her does she relent. Cornbread guides underwhelmed Poppy around. Then the new exhibit is unveiled: the personal effects of the museum's founder, including her never-before-seen portrait. Everyone notices Poppy's resemblance to the portrait! Town records are consulted! Poppy's relationship to the founder's family is asserted! Sadly, Cornbread's ignored, his tears causing him to collide with a priceless exhibit. In the end, Poppy makes things right for Cornbread with the donation of a family heirloom. The friends' charming camaraderie shines in this sweet, gently humorous early reader, but some plot details probably won't resonate with readers if they've never visited a museum. The expression founder's gala and the details of Poppy's somewhat complicated ancestry may go over younger audiences' heads. However, Cordell's witty, loose pen-and-ink-and-watercolor illustrations are adorable and capture the protagonists' expressiveness perfectly. No need to visit a museum to find an exhibit of best friendship; see it on display right here. (Early reader. 5-8)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2023
Grades K-2 Cornbread and Poppy may be best friends, but they're very different mice. When Cornbread invites Poppy to the Gala at Moonville's museum, Poppy reluctantly agrees, but only after they make a deal: if Poppy doesn't like the Gala, Cornbread (who's afraid to spend a night in the woods) will go camping with her. As Cornbread shows Poppy around the museum, he's disappointed that she's not more excited about the "Toothbrushes through Time" exhibit, the ""Molds and Fungi"" gallery, or the priceless, porcelain Vase of Bagoo. Later, he's so downcast that he inadvertently walks into the supposedly "irreplaceable" vase, smashing it to smithereens. Poppy gives him an identical vase from her attic and helps him lug it to the museum. While gently poking fun at high-society mice, Cordell tells a tale that's true to both main characters' personalities. Every scene comes to life in his expressive pen-and-ink drawings, warmed with soft watercolor washes. While it's designed for beginning readers, the third book in the amusing Cornbread & Poppy series will please many younger children as well.

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