Pair of mice find friendship very nice

“Cornbread & Poppy at the Carnival” by Matthew Cordell (Little, Brown and Co.)

Two mice go for an afternoon adventure in a new book called “Cornbread & Poppy at the Carnival.” It all starts with a bit of reluctance, though. When Poppy arrives at Cornbread’s house with “the best news ever,” Cornbread balks. The last time Poppy mentioned something with that much enthusiasm, the two of them ended up at a scary movie, and Cornbread had nightmares for a week.

The time before that, they explored some caverns, and Cornbread fainted at the sight of a bat. When he gives it a bit more consideration, Cornbread realizes that Poppy does come up with some good ideas, too. There was the time they snacked on raspberries at Grandma Wrinkle’s farm and the time they boogied to the Marmot Band at the Barn Buster.

“The Carnival is in town” shouted Poppy. “At the carnival, there’s sweets and treats and games and prizes. There’s even high-flying zooming rides.” “Uh-oh,” said Cornbread. “Uh-oh?” said Poppy.

Astute readers will predict that the timid Cornbread is too afraid to enjoy some of the attractions. But, what are friends for if not to encourage a little bit of calculated and well-supported risktaking? It seems like this simple book about friendship would end here on this high note, but that would be a bit too pat, wouldn’t it? The pages of “Poppy and Cornbread” are divided into three chapters, and the last one deals with navigating the ups and downs of a relationship, especially when it comes to sharing (say, a giant peanut snack found at the carnival).

Matthew Cordell is the author of many books for children including “Hello Neighbor,” “The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers,” “Bear Island” and “Wolf in the Snow,” which won the Caldecott Medal in 2018. He lives in Chicago, with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children.

brandyallport@outlook.com.