Poppy has not planned ahead, like Cornbread, and now Poppy has a problem that will require creative problem solving, courage, and friendship — the kind that sticks with you and sees a thing through with you, no matter what. Lively illustrations convey humor and warmth, complementing the text's charm and enduring lessons. Caldecott medalist Matthew Cordell debuts his first early reader series about two best friends who are as different from each other as can be.

Cornbread LOVES planning. Poppy does not. Cornbread ADORES preparing. Poppy does not. Cornbread IS ready for winter. Poppy...is not. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when Poppy is left without any food for the long winter, Cornbread volunteers to help her out. Their search leads them up, up, up Holler Mountain, where these mice might find a new friend...and an old one. Celebrating both partnership and the value of what makes us individuals, young readers will find this classic odd-couple irresistible as they encounter relatable issues with humor and heart.

Publishing simultaneously in hardcover and paperback.