Day after day, Corduroy, a small bear with green overalls, waits on a shelf in a big department store

Author/Illustrator: Don Freeman
Published: Penguin Books, 1968

Day after day, Corduroy, a small bear with green overalls, waits on a shelf in a big department store for someone to take him home. He thinks that someone may be a girl named Lisa, but her mother says no - she's already spent too much money and besides his overalls are missing a button. So Corduroy sets off that night to find his button, embarking on the sort of simple nighttime adventure that captivates all children. He thinks part of the department store must be a palace, and he guesses he's always wanted to live in a palace. In the best sort of happy ending, Lisa returns the next day with the contents of her piggy bank and takes Corduroy home. Upon seeing her room, he says, "'This must be home,' he said. 'I know I've always wanted a home!'"