Corduroy (original 1968; edition 1968)

LOVE. I loved this as a child and I love it even more now. It can teach children that nobody is perfect, and little imperfections sometimes make things even better and more unique.

Corduroy by Don Freeman is one of my favorite books.
The story, of mythic proportions,
deals with ultimate issues of life
in a surprisingly complex way.

It explores the difference between what we think we want
and what we know we want,
when we haven’t yet experienced either of them.
It deals with intrinsic worth as opposed to surface imperfection
and even suggests a tactful way to improve outside appearances.

The framework is a simple
bear meets girl,
bear loses girl,
bear gets girl
story.
(I hope you don’t mind my giving away the ending,
but the book bears—really, no pun intended— repeated
reading
and viewing.)

It is also a quest story.
In fact, there are two separate quests.
Is the major one a failure,
because the immediate goal is not achieved?

Is this quest actually a mystical experience?
Notice that a guard—G-d?—descends to what is described as a palace
and that the hero ascends to reach it;
notice also that the hero tries to hide after he fears he’s broken a vessel of light.
(Throne mysticism and creation mysticism?)
And finally ask what does one do with mystical experiences
back in the “real” world
and which is better—
the palace or home?

There is much more to the story—
the fact that the characters face right when going forward
and left when going to possible danger,
the other quest,
the importance of “buying/acquiring a friend” in Jewish tradition,
what the department store represents,
how do we recognize what we’ve never seen,
why four flights of stairs,
why a button—
but I don’t want to completely spoil the book
by giving it all away.

I hope you enjoy it. ( )

Another childhood classic that all children love and relate to. I would use this to teach about prediction and vocabulary. ( )

This is a book that comes to life for some children bringing make believe and hope into their lives. This book would be good when teaching setting. ( )

Originally published in 1968, this adorable picture-book was one of the reading staples of my early childhood, so I was simply delighted when it was chosen as one of our December selections, over in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme for the month is "toys." This gave me the opportunity to revisit an old favorite, which I greatly enjoyed! The story of a teddy bear who longs for a home, and the little girl who falls in love with him on first sight, Corduroy follows its eponymous ursine hero as he sets out, late one night, to find a button to replace the one he had lost, sitting on a department store shelf for so long. Eventually returned to his shelf, still sans button, Corduroy is confronted the following morning with a wonderful surprise...

There are so many things I love about this book, that it's difficult to know where to begin! Freeman's artwork is charming, and his story engaging. It taps into some common childhood fantasies, from the idea that toys come alive, when the humans leave the room, to the wish-fulfillment scenario in which one wanders through a normally crowded locale - a store, a museum, a busy street - late at night, free to explore in ways that one usually wouldn't be. Although I can't say I thought about it much as a kid, when I simply took it for granted, as part of the story, I love the fact that Lisa, the little girl who eventually takes Corduroy home, thereby fulfilling all his dreams, is an African-American child. I love that this is a matter-of-fact reality, rather than an important part of the story, as so much of the multicultural literature being produced for children nowadays feels more "issue" driven to me. This is just a delightful story about a bear and a girl, in which the girl happens to be black. I can't think of too many vintage children's titles (excepting the work of Ezra Jack Keats) where this is the case.

I'm so happy to have reacquainted myself with this beloved title from my childhood - it more than lived up to my memory of it! - which I read and reread as a little girl. I think I will hunt down the sequel, A Pocket for Corduroy, which I didn't read as a child, and see if it is just as good... ( )