From wolves to Mister Rogers, author Matthew Cordell shared the inspirations behind his children’s books during the Neighborhood Art Exhibit at the Monroe County Public Library. Over 150 people came to watch Cordell speak and engage with his exhibit Saturday.
In his talk, Cordell said his wife, Julie, first suggested they create a children's book together, but that he was initially hesitant.
“I didn’t remember what children’s books were… and frankly, I was afraid of children,” he said.
However, as Julie introduced him to classic illustrators like Quentin Blake and William Steig, he reconsidered the idea.
His first book, “Toby and the Snowflakes,” was published in 2004. He said he worked on illustration projects for seven years while still holding a full-time job as a designer, eventually transitioning to full-time book-making in 2007. He described his early writing efforts as a learning process.
“I had to write a bunch of bad stuff before I became an author, but my publishers liked me as an illustrator, so they tolerated the bad stuff to get to something good,” he said.
Cordell’s book “Wolf in the Snow” won the 2018 Caldecott Medal, one of the most prestigious American children's book awards. He said the idea started with a single sketch. Research on wolves, including reaching out to scientists at the Yellowstone Wolf Project, led him to explore how wolves are misunderstood, which became the theme of his book.
He also spoke about his admiration for children’s television host, Mister Rogers, who is the inspiration for his book “Hello, Neighbor!” He noted that his love for nature and animals also inspired some of his books like “Evergreen” and “To See an Owl.”
“Ideas are everywhere,” Cordell said. “Our lives are filled to the brim with endless inspiration.”
Following his speech, there was a book-signing event. One attendee, Aya O’Donnell, waited in line to get her copy of “Hello, Neighbor!” signed.
“I learned from Mr. Cordell’s speech that inspiration for illustrations can come from anywhere,” O’Donnell said.
She also said that she liked Mister Rogers in general and it was nice to learn more about him through the book.
Cameron McCrea, an IU student attending the event, said she liked learning about how Mr. Cordell started out illustrating in black-and-white before turning to color. Elizabeth Richey, another attendee, said she loved his latest technique of using multi-color pens as it created an interesting rainbow effect in his drawings.
One of the event organizers, former children’s department head at the Monroe County Public Library, Ginny Richey, said that the exhibit was presented by the organization “Friends of the Library” and was funded through a generous bequest from a former IU Professor, Marian Armstrong, who had an avid interest in children’s picture books.
“A committee was formed to work with Marian’s request and to select exhibits that would honor her and give children of the community an idea about visiting art exhibits and museums,” Richey said.
The exhibit also featured a variety of activities based on Mr. Cordell’s books. Children could use provided materials to make a crown inspired by Mr. Cordell’s book “King Alice,” mouse ears inspired by his book “Cornbread and Poppy” and a mail stamp inspired by his book “Special Delivery.” One of the most popular activities, “Pick a Duck,” was aimed at helping kids look for details in art. As children were eager to discover hidden details, it captured significant attention.
The exhibit remains open for viewing until March 23. The IU School of Education library also has a Matthew Cordell exhibit on display in conjunction with the Monroe County Public Library and features similar activities.
