Parents' Guide to Corduroy

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Common Sense Media Review

By Mary LeCompte , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 2+

Sweet, heartwarming picture-book classic.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 2+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 3+

Based on 7 parent reviews

age 3+

Based on 6 kid reviews

What's the Story?

Poor Corduroy! Why won't anyone buy him? Could it be because his overalls are missing a button? Late at night the teddy bear searches the store for his button. He never finds it, but he does find a girl who loves him and gives him a home. Heartwarming and humorous, this is a picture-book classic.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 7 ):
Kids say ( 6 ):

CORDUROY offers children a feel-good storyline, a memorable main character, and charming illustrations. Bright, loosely drawn pictures feature scenes familiar to many children: shelves of toys, department stores, and bedrooms. The characters' facial expressions of sadness, curiosity, and joy are drawn so that even the youngest children can understand much of the story simply by looking at the pictures.

The classic book also offers the added benefit of subtle lessons in good behavior and responsibility. Lisa, the kind little girl who buys and befriends Corduroy, doesn't fuss and cry in the toy department when her mother tells her that she may not buy the bear. When Lisa returns to buy Corduroy the next day, she does so with her mother's blessing and the money from her own piggy bank. Lisa looks past Corduroy's missing button and sees a friend to love.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Corduroy is a special bear. Would you have chosen him at the toy store despite his flaws? Do you have a toy that's very special to you?

  • Have you ever wanted a toy that was a little less than perfect? Do you have toys right now that are missing a part but you still like them and play with them anyway?

  • Who in your family or among your friends likes you just the way you are?

Book Details

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