Corduroy

Children's Literature - Joanna Wiley

A small teddy bear named Corduroy sits on the shelf of a department store and longs for someone to buy him. One afternoon, a little girl spots him and instantly decides he is the bear she has always wanted. Despite her excitement, the girl's mother refuses to buy Corduroy, pointing out that the missing button on his overalls makes him look old. Upon hearing this, Corduroy decides to search the store in hopes of finding the button. That night, he encounters many new sights, including the store's escalator and furniture department. After Corduroy's failed attempt to remove a sewn-on button atop a mattress, the store's security guard finds him and places him back on his original shelf. The next day, Corduroy awakes to find himself greeted by the smiling face of the girl from the previous day. She buys Corduroy and takes him home where she then replaces his lost button. As Corduroy looks at his new surroundings, he rejoices in the realization that he now has a home and a loving friend to take care of him. Freeman's use of a character like Corduroy who appears to be flawed because of a useless overall strap conveys a valid moral lesson that even though something is not perfect, it is no less special. Freeman's illustrations also help add to the story's sense of adventure as the little teddy bear explores the sights and sounds of the world around him. By utilizing a sense of childlike innocence and curiosity, Freeman creates a character with the kind of charm and sincerity that children and adults alike will find hard to resist. Published in many forms over the years, this version is a large format board book. Reviewer: Joanna Wiley