King Alice - by Matthew Cordell (Hardcover)

About the Book

Caldecott Medalist Cordell celebrates books and reading in this picture book about a girl and her father who make up an epic adventure in which she is king. Full color.

Book Synopsis

Matthew Cordell, Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator of Wolf in the Snow, delivers yet another warm and delightful picture book in King Alice.

Alice and her family are stuck indoors on a snowy day. Alice loves to read, and when her dad suggests that she make her own book, she snaps out of her "I'm bored" mode and makes up a story that lasts till the lights go out later that night.

Here is a book that celebrates books, reading, and an imaginative way that one family handles being housebound.

Praise for Matthew Cordell

"Beautifully paced . . . ultimately reassuring." --Wall Street Journal on Wolf in the Snow

"Shows the power of kindness and bravery. Reminiscent of William Steig's Brave Irene, Cordell's book is a perfect choice for the dark days of winter." --IndieBound on Wolf in the Snow

Review Quotes

A Kids' Indie Next Pick for Fall 2018

"Captures the joy (for kids) and the frequent exasperation (for parents) of the slushy indoor snow day. Lively and funny." -- The New York Times Book Review

"On a particularly snowy day, when the family is housebound, Alice comes up with a variety of activities to wile away the hours, and creating a book about King Alice and her adventures is the one she decides to pursue... Caldecott medalist Cordell offers up engaging illustrations in watercolor, colored pencil, markers, and pen and ink... Cordell's title pays delightful homage to books, writing, and illustrating while revealing a happy, pajama-clad family spending a fun-filled, though frenetic, day together."-- Booklist, starred review

"With Alice insisting that she's a king, not a queen, and a biracial family depicted, the book subtly but clearly upends stereotypes."-- Austin American-Statesman newspaper

"Cordell knows how children speak ("I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry I bonked you with my unicorn, Daddy"), what they like to do. ..and how their stories sound ("King Alice yelled, 'This is some delicious tea!' "). Readers will treasure their time with Alice's father, who allows his daughter to be exactly who she is, and King Alice, who leads her family on adventures even when they don't leave the house."--Publishers Weekly

"This delightful book-within-a-book will inspire domestic mayhem while enduring a snow day. A must-have."--School Library Journal

Praise for Wolf in the Snow

WINNER OF THE 2018 CALDECOTT MEDAL

"Beautifully paced . . . ultimately reassuring." --Wall Street Journal

"Shows the power of kindness and bravery. Reminiscent of William Steig's Brave Irene, Cordell's book is a perfect choice for the dark days of winter." --IndieBound

"The girl's story is a hero's journey, and Cordell tells it with skill and heart." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Expect this wintry tale to bring only warmth." --Booklist, starred review

"A heartwarming adventure about helping others, best shared one-on-one to pore over the engaging images." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Deeply satisfying." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Cordell's pen-and-ink illustrations balance detail and emotion...The setting is brought to life through changing sky colors, cold breaths, and extensive snowscapes in watercolors." --Horn Book, starred review

About the Author

Matthew Cordell is the Caldecott award-winning author of Wolf in the Snow, Trouble Gum, Another Brother, hello! hello!, and Wish. He has illustrated the books of renowned authors including Philip Stead (Special Delivery), Rachel Vail (the Justin Case series), and Gail Carson Levine (Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It). He lives outside of Chicago with his wife, the novelist Julie Halpern, and their two children.