CORNBREAD & POPPY AT THE MUSEUM

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.