Corduroy: A Book about Love and Determination

My daughter used to be enrolled in the Kumon English program.  We wanted to foster her love for reading so we scout book stores just so we could complete what was on her Kumon reading list.  Our regular book store "hunt" lead us to a copy of Don Freeman's book Corduroy.

The book is about a teddy bear, Corduroy, who has lived in the big department store for a long time; waiting for someone to take him home.  The plot is simple but it speaks a lot about Love and Acceptance.  In the story, the little girl's mother pointed out that Corduroy has a missing button but still the little girl went ahead and bought the teddy bear.  For her, the bear will be her "friend."   The story tells us that we will meet people and discover traits that are not necessarily what we think is ideal.  That person may be not as organized or as outgoing as we want them to be.  We will meet people who may be completely different from us.  They may not have the same race or color or nationality. However,  we can learn how to accept them and look at what's good in them.  That's how we make friends and make relationships work.  And despite all these "imperfections" we still say that we don't love them any less.

The book also speaks about determination.  In the story, the girl wasn't able to buy the teddy bear at first because her mother said they already spent too much.  Corduroy also realized that he had a missing button so he bravely explored the mall to look for it.  I dont think he'd stop looking had the guard not found him.  The same way that the little girl didn't give up; she went back with her savings to buy the teddy bear that she wanted. 

My daughter and I usually play a game of what if's after reading the book.  What if Pinkie, her stuffed animal, loses an eye, will she throw it away?  Will I still love her even if she is makulit?  Will she still love me and tatay even if we became too busy and forget to read her a story or kiss her goodnight?  I know she understood what the story is driving at when she answers "No."  I love how she can confidently say that nothing can change the way her tatay and I feel about her.  And if she ever had challenges in school, we always go back to how the little girl and Corduroy behaved in the story.  Did they give up? No.  Neither should she. 

The Corduroy Book and Bear set is available at National Book Store.  Price Php 303.00

 

An edited book review is also posted in Smart Parenting's online publication.

Photo by http://www.kidsource.com/