Cordelia L Brown
Small, careful picture books about big things.
Stories about curiosity, courage, effort, and the kind of growing that takes more than one try. Written for children, with a grown-up sitting next to them.
Each book will come with a one-page guide for the grown-up: a few questions to ask after the last page, so the story keeps going at the kitchen table.
A note for grown-ups
How this shelf works.
These are read-aloud books, written for children, with a grown-up sitting next to them. The grown-up's guide planned for each title is meant to be as much the point as the book: it turns the last page into the first question.
We've kept this section quiet on purpose. No chatbot, no sign-up for children, no behavioral tracking. Every newsletter signup is the grown-up's email. Every download is meant for an adult to open with a child.
The press takes its name from Cordelia. Read how it began →
The shelf
Picture books, ages 4–10.
Marked "Forthcoming" until each title is listed with a wholesaler.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Feedback Helps Us Grow!
Mimi is a gifted young artist, until she loses a competition and stops wanting anyone to see her work. A wise woman helps her see that feedback isn't a verdict on her; it's the thing that makes an artist better.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Adventure Awaits!
Lolo is afraid to try new things, scared he'll fail or get hurt. A trip to the park, and a little courage, shows him that the fun is on the other side of the fear.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Curious Cordelia
Cordelia has more questions than the grown-ups can answer, so she goes looking: all the way to a wise old owl in the forest, and home again with a notebook full of stars.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Be the Best You Can Be
Bubba is content doing just enough to get by, until his friend Cordelia shows him what trying your best looks like. Not the best in the room, the best you can do.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Embracing Mistakes
Tommy sets out to build a birdhouse, but it comes out crooked and lopsided, and he nearly gives up. Then he remembers: every mistake is a chance to learn. So he tries again.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Growing Talents
Lana wants to be a great reader, but the words keep tripping her up. She doesn't quit. She practices, every day, until the hard thing becomes her favorite thing.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Keep Going, Don't Give Up
Max and Cordelia set out to race through the forest, but a fallen tree and a steep hill make Cordelia want to quit. Max reminds her they're a team, and they cross the finish line together: not as winners, but as friends who didn't give up.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Work Hard, Get Rewarded
Cordelia works for what she wants; her friend Xavier wants it the easy way. When they find fruit high in a tree, Xavier learns why the thing you work hardest for is the thing that tastes sweetest.
ForthcomingPicture book · Ages 4–10
Facing Fear
Something is lurking in Layla's room at night, and she's sure it's a ghost. One brave night, a flashlight, and a look under the bed show her it was only her stuffed animals, and that her imagination can make things scarier than they really are.
Parent engagement kit
Read together. Then talk.
Planned for each title: a narrated read-along clip, a one-page grown-up's guide, and a printable activity. Coming online as each book lists.
Read-along · Coming soon
Keep Going, Don't Give Up: sample read-along
Preview planned. No audio is available yet.
Read-along · Coming soon
Embracing Mistakes: sample read-along
Preview planned. No audio is available yet.
Keep Going, Don't Give Up
Talk about a time something took more than one try.
Guide and activity · Coming soon
Facing Fear
A small ritual for looking at a scary thing instead of away.
Guide and activity · Coming soon
Curious Cordelia
What to do when a child's questions outrun your answers.
Guide and activity · Coming soon
From the press
Notes for grown-ups.
New books, plus printable read-along guides as they're ready, a few times a year. The grown-up's email, not the child's.
Double opt-in. Unsubscribe any time.