Corduroy

Freeman, Don. Corduroy. Illus. Don Freeman. New York: Viking Press, 1968.

Corduroy, written and illustrated by Don Freeman, is a fictional story about a teddy bear and a young girl's new-found friendship. Day after day, Corduroy sits on a shelf waiting to be "adopted" by a child. One day, a young girl named Lisa comes to buy Corduroy, but her mother points out he is missing a button and drags her away. Corduroy, determined to replace his missing button, sets out on an adventure for a new one once the mall closes. He sneaks around the mall until he is caught by the night guard. The next morning, Lisa returns with money from her own piggy bank, purchases Corduroy, runs home with him, and lovingly sews on a new button.

The book is written from Corduroy's point of view and the story takes place in a busy toy store in a mall. The illustrations, primarily done in brightly colored watercolor and ink sketches, take on a scribbled, cartoon-like quality. Each picture takes up most of the page and depicts images that are familiar to children, such as a toy store filled with shelves of toys. The illustrations specifically depict the characters emotions, through detailed facial expressions and illustrate exactly what is written on the page, making it possible to understand the story even without the words. The idea of a toy coming to life at night and going on an adventure is appealing for children of all ages. Corduroy is a heart-felt tale of friendship and has remained a classic over the years.