A review of Corduroy by Don Freeman

 

Plot Summery

Corduroy is a wonderful tale by Don Freeman in regarding a teddy who was displayed in a departmental store. It was very unique story during that period (1968) from my point of view.  Corduroy was waiting for somebody to definitely come to the shop and take him home with him or her. One day a little gal named Lisa wanted to buy him, but her mom found that one keys on his overalls is missing.  She decided not buy Corduroy.  That night Corduroy chooses to explore the section store to find a button. He went upstairs and browsed whole area.  Corduroy saw some furniture including beds which he never seen before. He tried to pull a button from a mattress but ends up making noise loud noise on the store which dragged the attention of the security guard. Next day Lisa found her little saving in piggy bank and came back to the store to take Corduroy to home with her. Corduroy occupied a big part Lisa’s life and her imagination.. She runs house with Corduroy taking him up to her room where he sees his own perfect sized bed next to hers, realizing that must be his home now.  The tiny girl tells Corduroy that although she loves him just how he is, he’d probably be convenient if he previously a fresh button on his overalls. The bond of friendship between your little lady and Corduroy is quite strong, he finally realizes that is exactly what it’s prefer to have a pal. This is an excellent story since it teaches children that things nowadays need the bonds of friendship, love, and family. Corduroy is not really a new toy; he has a missing button yet can be loved by the tiny girl because she looks past his flaws only seeing the love he provides.

 

Textual Elements

 

Genre

The genre in the story plot Corduroy is fantasy because its elements demonstrate that it’s fictional where the plot of the storyline cannot occur. Our text book The Joy of Children’s Literature states that fantasy is “imaginative worlds make believe story, people and creatures, or events that cannot happen”.  Corduroy fits correctly into this genre because he’s a bear that is alive; he talks, walks around, shows feelings, has emotion, and gets the dependence on family and friendship. Corduroy must continue an adventure to find his lost button; he rises the escalator, climbs on the beds, and tries to have a button off a bed but falls along the way. In real life stuffed toy bears aren’t alive he’s an inanimate object and for that reason can’t be alive.

 

Setting

The setting of the storyline started in a  department store. The illustrations represent that the storyline is occurring in the first 1940’s from the cloths that your characters are wearing.

 

Characters

Corduroy: Corduroy the key character he’s a cute stuffed bear with green corduroy overalls, who sits on the shelf in a sizable department store. He’s sad that he hasn’t been bought because he wants to truly have a friend and home. He continues on quest to find his missing button, however fails his mission which is put back on the shelf by the security guard watching on the department store. Corduroy finally finds a house with just a little girl who loves him and sews on a fresh button for him.

THE TINY Girl: she actually is an DARK-COLORED girl who’s shopping with her mother when she falls deeply in love with Corduroy, but her mother won’t let her buy him because her mother will not think he’s a exhausted toy. She actually is sad because he’s the bear which she’s always wanted. The very next day however she returns with her own money to buy him, takes him home, and sews him a fresh button. Lisa and Corduroy share strong bond of friendship and love.

The Guard: The guard in the storyline is patrolling the department store when Corduroy is on his mission to discover a new button. He hears a commotion upstairs in the furniture department when Corduroy falls off of the bed, and would go to investigate. The guard is confused when he finds Corduroy and then puts him back on the shelf.

 

Point of View

The idea of view which Corduroy is written is third person. The bear Corduroy is telling the storyline and the illustrations depict and support that it’s written in this aspect of view because he’s telling the storyline.

 

Theme

This tale has multiple designs which tie up into the key message that book is one that can relate with all children. The first theme of this story plot is having desire of a home and friend. Every single day Corduroy pieces as shoppers cross him by in the office store, however he never manages to lose desire that someone won’t buy him. The next theme of the reserve is never to judge others predicated on stereotypes. The tiny girl falls deeply in love with Corduroy as soon as she considers him, however her mom immediately says her no because of his appearance. Corduroy is not the hottest keep and he has a lacking button on his overalls, therefore her mom feels that she shouldn’t buy such a hard looking toy. Nonetheless it does not subject to her because she liked Corduroy despite his defects. The final theme of the storyline is the necessity for camaraderie and love. Everything that Corduroy desires is to truly have a friend that can love and in exchange be adored. Children can easily see how sad the lady and Corduroy are without one another, and in the long run have the ability to find contentment because of they have got the other person company.

 

Artistic Elements

 

The illustration of Corduroy is cartoon and media was used watercolor. Corduroy has beautiful illustrations which allow children to make use of their thoughts on Corduroy’s quest to find his absent button. The artwork by Don Freeman in the reserve is impressionistic because they stress light, color, and activity. The illustrations correlate with the written text in the storyline and signify the emotion where the characters are sensing. The story plot is fantasy which means stuffed pets or animals are alive and illustrations give life to them. In addition they give a genuine appearance to the key persons but blur the lines and encounters of the individuals who are in the backdrop. The pictures are loosely attracted however give great aspect to create the environment and facial personas. The colors are warm even though they colored with drinking water colors. They have got flow and movements offering the illustration depth and various proportions. The lines of the illustrations are direct and choppy, however circulation together to provide Corduroy a fuzzy and warm appearance. Corduroy in the illustrations gets the appearance and surface that he’s moving.  The designer does a fantastic job of concentrating on the cosmetic expressions of the stuffed family pets and folks in the story plot to represent what’s occurring in the storyline.