Review: Corduroy

By Seema Damani, mother of 3-year-old Mihika. Thanks, Seema!

Corduroy is a beautifully illustrated, simple and warm book by Don Freeman. It has been one of the best stories that I have read to my daughter. The artwork is wonderful and the story is very touching. My daughter has a buttoned "Corduroy" bear in her bed too and she compares her bear with the "book Corduroy".

Corduroy is a stuffed teddy bear in a department store. No one wants him because he has a button missing from his overalls. One day, Lisa and her mother come into the shop. Lisa adores Corduroy on first sight and asks her mother to buy him. But the mother finds flaws with Corduroy, saying 'he has a button missing...' . Corduroy's face turns sad and discouraged.

That night he ventures out into the store to find his button but has no success. The next day, the little girl Lisa returns to buy him. She takes him home, sews on a button, and provides him with his own little bed right beside hers. Corduroy realizes that now he has a home and a friend -- the two things he has always wanted most.

The story demonstrates to children that imperfect objects are also worthy of love.

We usually have a couple of copies of this book in our collection.