Book Review: A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Charming and fun story with great pictures

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Search for a pocket

Gives Corduroy adventure

That’s fun, creative

Can Corduroy Find a Pocket in a Laundromat?

If you’d have asked me which of the two Corduroy adventures I’d enjoyed reading more growing up, I would without a doubt have said A Pocket for Corduroy.  Not that there is anything wrong with the first book.  It’s just that this one manages to capture the humor and charm of the first and exceed it.

One day, Corduroy, a stuffed bear, goes with Lisa, his owner, and her mother to do laundry at the laundromat.  As Lisa’s mom reminds her to empty her pockets, Corduroy decides he needs a pocket on his overalls and sets out on a search to find one.  What might he find along the way?  Will he wander completely away from Lisa?

As with the first book, we get Corduroy off exploring on his own as he searches for something he wants.  However, the things he thinks he has encountered here are much more fun and entertaining.  They are perfectly logical as well, at least to a stuffed bear, and even a kid will see the humor in his confusion.

The illustrations back up the fun story.  They are actually fairly detailed and capture the warmth, charm, and humor of Corduroy’s adventure.

Of course, there is a warm and happy ending, but this is a picture book, so that’s hardly surprising, right?  Parents might want to make sure their kids know not to wander off, but really, Corduroy would have been fine is he had just asked for what he wanted all along.

But if he had done that, we wouldn’t have gotten the fun that is A Pocket for Corduroy.  While his first book is fun, Corduroy’s best adventure really was in the laundromat.