The seventh annual winner of the Robin Smith Picture Book Prize, honoring late Calling Caldecott cofounder Robin Smith, is Evergreen, written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell.
In the first two books of a beginning reader series, Cordell (Wolf in the Snow, rev. 11/16; Bear Island, rev. 3/21) introduces two mice who are best friends sharing adventures. The series starter, Cornbread & Poppy, begins as a takeoff on Aesop’s “Ant and the Grasshopper,” with responsible Cornbread’s pantry stocked for winter and fun-loving Poppy facing shortages.