"A poetically beautiful story of grief and healing mirrored in the natural world has a touch of magical realism as a young girl processes her emotions and realizes that endings lead to beginnings."-- School Library Journal, starred review " In a story that respects grief''s slow pace, Cordell''s writing and artwork together carry grace, economy, and heart." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review " Grief can be particularly difficult to address with young children, and Cordell wisely eschews the platitudes often associated with this emotion, choosing instead to demonstrate the healing powers of nature and time."-- Booklist "Provides youngsters with a talking point for their feelings about bereavement, and the depiction of a summer of adjustment to life without the loved one is sympathetic and patient. (Recommended.) -- Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books Praise for Explorers: "[A] boy sets out with his family to a natural history museum, stopping on the way in to buy a wind-up flying toy from a street vendor seated beneath a sign that reads "Magic." It flies beautifully, murmuring "KSSSSHH," and the boy can''t resist launching it inside, past the dinosaurs and the statues, until another boy, whose family has brown skin and whose mother and younger sister wear hijabs, catches it deftly. The owner snatches it back, and his father scolds him.
Cordell resolves the story slowly, in small steps, as the two families meet again and become better acquainted. In loosely drawn panels, the boy''s shifting emotions make him easy to empathize with as he''s by turns baffled, tense, and vexed by the conflict between wanting his toy and wanting to be generous. As readers see him loosening his boundaries to become a more bighearted version of himself, the moment feels welcome and real." -- Publishers Weekly Praise for Wolf in the Snow: Winner of the 2018 Caldecott Medal A National Public Radio Best Book of 2017 A Horn Book Magazine Best Book of 2017 A School Library Journal Best Book of 2017 A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2017 A Boston Globe Best Book of 2017 A Huffington Post Best Book of 2017 "Cozy vignettes, framed in rough circles, help reassure readers that the story will end well, and so does a tender opening portrait of the family. The girl''s story is a hero''s journey, and Cordell tells it with skill and heart. "-- Publishers Weekly, starred review " This nearly wordless picture book is a tender, never precious story of kindness and cooperation. Expect this wintry tale to bring only warmth. "-- Booklist, starred review ""Cordell''s landscapes do a wonderful job showing the vastness and desperation of the girl''s journey, his blended watercolors of the snow and trees adding eloquence to the experience.
A heartwarming adventure about helping others, best shared one-on-one to pore over the engaging images."-- School Library Journal, starred review "Beautifully paced.ultimately reassuring."-- Wall Street Journal **** Praise for King Alice: A Kids'' Indie Next Pick for Fall 2018 "Captures the joy (for kids) and the frequent exasperation (for parents) of the slushy indoor snow day. Lively and funny." -- The New York Times Book Review "On a particularly snowy day, when the family is housebound, Alice comes up with a variety of activities to wile away the hours, and creating a book about King Alice and her adventures is the one she decides to pursue. Caldecott medalist Cordell offers up engaging illustrations in watercolor, colored pencil, markers, and pen and ink. Cordell''s title pays delightful homage to books, writing, and illustrating while revealing a happy, pajama-clad family spending a fun-filled, though frenetic, day together.
"-- Booklist, starred review.