Corduroy 40th Anniversary Edition - 40th Edition by Don Freeman (Hardcover)

About the Book

A tale about a bear in search of a home, and a little girl in search of a friend.

Book Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The treasured childhood classic about a little bear and a lost button--now in a fortieth-anniversary edition featuring bonus materials including a companion CD!

Corduroy lives in the toy department of a big store. Day after day he waits with all the other animals and dolls for somebody to come along and take him home. Yet as soon as Lisa sees him, she knows that he's the bear for her. Her mother, though, thinks he's a little shopworn--he's even missing a button! Still, Corduroy knows that with a bit of work he can tidy himself up and be just the bear for Lisa. Recognizable by his namesake green corduroy overalls, Corduroy and his misadventures in the search for his button have entertained and endeared generations of readers.

This special 40th anniversary edition comes with a companion CD for listening to this timeless classic, and includes four bonus spreads of never-before-seen materials, making it a must-have for any Corduroy fan.

About the Author

Don Freeman was born in San Diego, California, in 1908. At an early age, he received a trumpet as a gift from his father. He practiced obsessively and eventually joined a California dance band. After graduating from high school, he ventured to New York City to study art under the tutelage of Joan Sloan and Harry Wickey at the Art Students' League. He managed to support himself throughout his schooling by playing his trumpet evenings, in nightclubs and at weddings.

Gradually, he eased into making a living sketching impressions of Broadway shows for The New York Times and The Herald Tribune. This shift was helped along, in no small part, by a rather heartbreaking incident: he lost his trumpet. One evening, he was so engrossed in sketching people on the subway, he simply forgot it was sitting on the seat beside him. This new career turned out to be a near-perfect fit for Don, though, as he had always loved the theater.

He was introduced to the world of children's literature when William Saroyan asked him to illustrate several books. Soon after, he began to write and illustrate his own books, a career he settled into comfortably and happily. Through his writing, he was able to create his own theater: "I love the flow of turning the pages, the suspense of what's next. Ideas just come at me and after me. It's all so natural. I work all the time, long into the night, and it's such a pleasure. I don't know when the time ends. I've never been happier in my life!"

Don died in 1978, after a long and successful career. He created many beloved characters in his lifetime, perhaps the most beloved among them a stuffed, overall-wearing bear named Corduroy.

Don Freeman was the author and illustrator of many popular books for children, including Corduroy, A Pocket for Corduroy, and the Caldecott Honor Book Fly High, Fly Low.