Books with author Matthew Cordell

An award-winning author and a Caldecott Medalist introduce an adorable new circus star — who won’t stop wailing!When Frieda and Boffo Clown have a baby, everyone in the circus is over the moon. But there is just one problem: Baby Clown won’t stop crying! Frieda and Boffo try everything: putting on their silliest faces, driving him around in their tiny car. They even try taking off his red nose and big shoes. But that just makes Baby Clown cry more. Can Frieda and Boffo turn his little clown frown upside down in time for the sold-out show? Kara LaReau deftly juggles wit and warmth in this hilarious nod to parental persistence, while Matthew Cordell’s big-top-bright illustrations bring Baby Clown and his circus family to humorously frazzled life. Older siblings, in particular, will step right up to this applause-worthy picture book, joining Baby Clown in many a heartfelt “WAAAAH!”

A goat and a hen turn a playful exploration of physics into scientific fun that rises to the top! Archie the Goat has a delivery to make. He has several barrels of buttermilk that the queen needs, but in order to get them to her, he needs to cross the moat.Testing several different theories to find out what will float and what will sink, Archie and his friend Skinny the Hen don’t succeed at first, but they do try, try, try again (and again). And with reason and persistence, they’ll get that buttermilk where it needs to be!

This book is full of monos, ratons, and osos. What’s that, you say? You don’t know what a mono is? What about a rio, some pelo, or even an árbol? No? Still no idea? You should read this libro, then. By the time you finish, you’ll be able to recognize and understand more than fifty simple Spanish words. You’ll be saying, “Mas, por favor!” You may even ask your papá to buy you a gato or pato. (But not your papa. Potatoes can’t buy pets.)

A charming and funny picture book about the value of irreplaceable friendships.Righty and Lefty, an adorable pair of feet, can't seem to agree on anything. Righty wakes up early, while Lefty likes to sleep in; Righty dreams of wearing fancy footwear, but Lefty swears by galoshes. This is the tale of two feet who, despite walking different walks, learn in the end how to get along without tripping over the most important thing of all: each other. A great story about the value of friendship and compromise, Righty and Lefty is sure to remind us all that opposites attract.

Justin Case made it through third grade and summer camp in the previous two books. Now he's in fourth grade, and there's even more to worry about: friends, bullies, grades, tests―and did we say bullies? Once again, Rachel Vail and Matthew Cordell bring to life all the worries and triumphs of elementary school life, in diary form. Fans will relate to Justin and his adventures.

This book is full of monos, ratons, and osos. What’s that, you say? You don’t know what a mono is? What about a rio, some pelo, or even an árbol? No? Still no idea? You should read this libro, then. By the time you finish, you’ll be able to recognize and understand more than fifty simple Spanish words. You’ll be saying, “Mas, por favor!” You may even ask your papá to buy you a gato or pato. (But not your papa. Potatoes can’t buy pets.)

Justin is going to start fourth grade―but first, he has to survive the summer. He "gets" to go to camp every day on a bus. He "gets" to experience all sorts of new things: Bugs. Mess hall food. Flip-flops (they hurt the space between his toes and they're hard to walk in). And (gulp!) swimming. Justin's little sister, Elizabeth, seems to deal with camp just fine. So do his friends. Justin is trying very hard not to be a worried kid anymore, especially when it comes to making friends at camp, including a new kid who is kind of . . . rough. After all, Justin is going to be in fourth grade. It's time to be brave. Right?

It's the start of the school year, and nothing feels right to Justin. He didn't get the teacher he wanted, he's not in the same class as his best friend, and his little sister, Elizabeth, is starting kindergarten at his school. Elizabeth doesn't seem nervous at all. Justin is very nervous about third grade. And to top it off, he's lost his favorite stuffed animal, but he can't tell anyone, because technically he's too old to still have stuffed animals. Right?Here is third grade in all its complicated glory―the friendships, the fears, and the advanced math. Acclaimed author Rachel Vail captures third grade with a perfect pitch, and Caldecott award-winning illustrator Matthew Cordell's line art is both humorous and touching. As Justin bravely tries to step out of his shell, he will step into readers' hearts.Justin Case is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.