Matthew Cordell

Matthew Cordell is an award-winning American children's author and illustrator. He is best known as the creator of the acclaimed picture book Wolf in the Snow, for which he won the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 2018. Prior to authoring his own works, Cordell worked as an illustrator for many prominent children's authors, including Philip C. Stead, Audrey Vernick, and Rachel Vail.

Background and Early Career

Cordell was born in 1975 and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. He was an avid reader during his childhood, and he particularly enjoyed the works of author-illustrators such as Richard Scarry, Maurice Sendak, and Dr. Seuss. After completing graphic design studies at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Cordell held a series of entry-level design jobs before relocating to Chicago, Illinois. There, he pursued his own fine arts career, and his early work was featured in independent gallery exhibitions throughout the city.

Career as an Author and Illustrator

During his time in Chicago, Cordell met Julie Halpern, who was working as a school librarian. Halpern was also an aspiring children's author, and she and Cordell made their breakthrough together when they found a publisher for their collaborative work Toby and the Snowflakes, which was published in 2004. The couple eventually married and had two children together. Halpern has since gone on to a successful career as a picture-book author and young adult novelist, while Cordell leveraged their success into a career in illustration.

As an illustrator, Cordell contributed to a long list of acclaimed children's titles, including Caldecott Medal-winner Philip C. Stead's The Only Fish in the Sea and Special Delivery, as well as Audrey Vernick's First Grade Dropout and Second Grade Holdout. Among many other projects, Cordell has worked on the well-known Justin Case book series by author Rachel Vail.

Cordell was able to parlay these successes into an opportunity to write and illustrate his own work. He has authored and illustrated numerous well-received books for children, including Another Brother (2012), hello! hello! (2012), and Wish (2015). However, his greatest success followed the 2017 publication of Wolf in the Snow, a children's story about a young girl and a wolf cub who have to work together to find their way home after getting lost on a winter day. In 2018 the book won the prestigious Caldecott Medal, which recognizes the American Library Association's selection for the year's most distinguished American picture book for children. Cordell has several new books planned for release in 2018, including Trouble Gum and King Alice.