With Madeline and Little House spin-offs on her resume, plus Rosemary Wells’s Yoko and Friends series, the technically versatile Wheeler replaces Lisa McCue to illustrate this latest Corduroy episode in a credible imitation of Don Freeman’s style. Similarly, the tale reads like ersatz Freeman. Corduroy sneaks out of the apartment one night in search of a birthday present for Lisa (who hasn’t aged a day since her first appearance in 1968), and winds up out on the street, where Mr. Gonzalez the news vendor keeps him safe until Lisa comes along putting up “Lost Bear” posters. “The only thing I wanted for my birthday was to have my best friend home with me!” she exclaims, before a closing double portrait with cake, balloons and a big lollipop. The actual author and illustrator get no cover billing, but that shouldn’t bother readers willing to settle for respectable replacements. (Picture book. 5-7)
