Corduroy's Fourth of July

Corduroy

by Lisa McCue (Illustrator), Don Freeman (Creator)

Celebrate Corduroy’s 50th anniversary with a board book adventure!

Today is the 4th of July, and Corduroy and his friends are having a fun-filled picnic. They eat tasty treats and play games in the hot summer sun. Then it’s time to cool down with a dip in the pool. Next they take part in an Independence Day parade! Scruffy Pup bangs the drum, Checkerboard Bunny plays the flute, and Corduroy carries the American flag. Once it’s dark outside, the friends gather to watch an amazing fireworks display.

This sturdy, brightly colored shaped board book is perfect for the youngest fans of Corduroy, one of the best-loved characters in children’s books for the past 50 years.

Genres: Childrens, Holiday, Picture Books

16 pages, Board Book

First published May 17, 2007

About the author

I was born in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Tappan, NY when I was 4. As early as I can remember, teachers were telling me that my drawings should be in children’s books. While in high school I was given the assignment to write a paper describing a day in my life 25 years into the future. I described myself as married with 2 children, working in my studio overlooking the ocean and designing greeting cards with a dog at my feet. I must have had a crystal ball that day. The only difference is I look out at the Chesapeake Bay, not the ocean.

I illustrated my first children’s book while in college. Acclaimed Dutch author Loek Kessels saw my portfolio, and asked me to illustrate for her. Now nearly 30 years later, I am still illustrating children’s books as well as greeting cards.

I love my work! It is so much fun to bring my characters to life, one brush stroke at a time. My sons laugh at the way I act out all of the emotions by making the facial expressions of my characters while I draw. Click on my picture to the left to see what my sneaky boys caught on tape.

When I am not drawing you will most likely find me on the water racing our sailboat or in the Mountains skiing. I love to read, sew, and bead. I am also very involved in fundraising for ALS.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book because it didn't teach anything about WHY we have Independence Day.

True story: I was substituting for a 3rd Grade class and we got on the subject of Independence Day and not one of the students could tell me why they celebrate this special holiday. No wonder. It's because of books like this one.

In the book Corduroy has a picnic, there are American flags, food, games to play (the illustration shows badminton and crochet), water games, parades, and fireworks. The book just fails to talk about our freedoms, people sacrificing the their time and lives, for our country. I'm disgusted with this book for those reasons.

[Jessica Nekuda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Independence Day is hard to say and explain to little ones 4 th of July is better. They should have stuck with that.

[Addie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute happy board book. 22 month old enjoyed it.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfectly sweet, easy to read board book for very young children. What a great way to teach them about/introduce them to the 4th of July!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a board book. It is great for toddlers because it's very short (not a lot of text) and has adorable bright colored illustrations of Corduroy and his friends. As you read this to your toddler, it'll hear you say Fourth of July at the beginning and then Independence Day in the end. If you or your little one love Corduroy, you'll enjoy this book.

[Ashley Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would use this book to talk about the 4th of July and why we celebrate the 4th of July. I would turn it into a mini lesson about the day American declared its independance.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth of July 2013