On My Love of Corduroy

In our home, everyone loves Corduroy. Published in 1968, he is just a few years shy of his 50th birthday. He's an original, not to be confused with the plethora of modern Corduroy books available "based on the character created by Don Freeman." Well... it isn't likely that you would actually confuse them. Here's a hint: Corduroy doesn't wear a bunny suit and isn't likely to pose for the cover of a "Home Alone" movie anytime soon. But I digress.

I am no artist, but do you see those water colors! It's striking yet subtle all at the same time. Freeman, himself a white male, is noted for choosing to portray a black heroine who, during the course of the book, is helped and waited upon by a white sales clerk. This hardly seems like a social justice statement, but this was also 1968. It was only 6 years prior, in 1962, that Ezra Jack Keats shook up the picture book world with the success of The Snowy Day, and that book didn't even touch upon the social interactions of different races. It merely featured a loveable black hero adventuring outdoors on a wintry day.

The action that takes place in this story is absolutely unremarkable. A toy bear in a department store discovers his button is missing after a little girl's mother remarks on it.

“Oh, Mommy!” she said. “Look! There’s the very bear I’ve always wanted.”

“Not today, dear.” Her mother sighed. “I’ve spent too much already. Besides, he doesn’t look new. He’s lost the button on one of his shoulder straps.”

Corduroy searches for the his button after the store has closed for the night. Unable to recover the lost item, he resigns himself to once again sit on the shelf alongside his fellow toys. In the morning, the little girl returns and buys the toy bear. When she brings him back to her apartment, she reassures Corduroy:

“I like you the way you are,” she said, “but you will be more comfortable with your shoulder strap fastened.”

“You must be a friend,” said Corduroy. “I’ve always wanted a friend.” 

“Me too!” said Lisa, and gave him a big hug.

 I am thankful for Corduroy because it can endure dozens and dozens of readings. At one point, this was Elinor's "read me every hour of the day" book. The text isn't just particularly charming. Freeman was, after all, an artist not a wordsmith, and Corduroy benefited from some careful editing following its initial rejection by publishers.  But the soul of the story came straight from Freeman and the sparse text is pleasing and polished.  In a lecture delivered to those interested in making picture books, Freeman noted "Simplicity is the essence of children’s book stories, not simple mindedness," and I think he accomplished this in Corduroy. The book may be simple, but beautiful themes abound - themes of friendship, of redemption, of restoration. If you're going to read a book over and over and over and over again, let it be a book that speaks those realities into the heart of your 2 year old.