Cornbread and Poppy at the Museum by Matthew Cordell

Each year at this time Betsy Bird (School Library Journal) posts 31 lists over 31 days. This is such a generous series of posts and a rich source of new books to discover.  Here is her list of Easy Books and Early Chapter Books. The list has 25+ titles. I would also add all three books in the Cornbread and Poppy series to this list. I have talked about this series previously.

In this newest installment (published 2023) Cornbread is so excited to receive an invitation to the gala function at the Moonville Museum. A new surprise exhibit will be revealed. Cornbread loves so many of the museum displays. It is a favourite place to visit where he can see:

Toothbrushes through Time; Molds and Fungi; Insect specimens; Antique cheese graters; and the Mummified peanut (this is my favourite item).

His invitation to the Founders Gala is for Cornbread and a guest. Gourmet cheeses, nuts and juices will be served. Fancy attire is required.

Naturally Cornbread has invited Poppy but she is not really keen on events like this and has no interest in museums. She does put on her "glamorous dress with sparkles" and great-great-auntie Twick's fancy hat. Little does she know this hat is of great significance and yes there is a museum disaster but everything is neatly resolved in the end - thank goodness. 

Bookseller blurb: Cornbread LOVES spending time inside. Poppy does not. Cornbread ADORES in-depth research. Poppy does not. Cornbread is THRILLED to visit The Moonville Museum. Poppy…is not. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when Cornbread is invited to attend the Founders Gala to see the unveiling of a surprise new exhibit, Poppy agrees to be his guest. Their evening is full of spectacular treasures, including hand-carved hairbrushes, diamond-encrusted perfume sprayers, and a solid gold ice cream scoop. What other wonders will these mice discover? 

The friends’ charming camaraderie shines in this sweet, gently humorous early reader ... No need to visit a museum to find an exhibit of best friendship; see it on display right here. Kirkus

After or even before reading this book it would be terrific to take your young reading companion to a local museum so they gain a sense of how the displays are set out and perhaps encounter some new vocabulary. Reading this book you may need to talk about the idea of a gala and also ancestry. Your family might also adopt a new expression 'Cornbread cleaned up nice!' 'Poppy cleaned up nice!'

I recommend shopping around for the Cornbread and Poppy books. I picked up my paperback copy in a city bookstore today for just AUS$13 but one of our popular Australian online booksellers lists this book at nearly AUS$19.  Do think about adding this series to your school library. Young children who are just ready for easy/beginner chapter books also need books with terrific stories that are fun and worth reading. Listen to Matthew Cordell talking about his book series.

A truly great easy book must use literally the simplest of words to convey a title so interesting that it makes a child want to know how to read. Betsy Bird

Here are the three Cornbread and Poppy books that have been published and the newest one which will arrive in 2024.