Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Taback, Simms. 1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York: Viking Juvenile.  ISBN 978-0670878550

(Photo obtained from uspenguingroup.com)

   Plot Summary

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is a story based on a Yiddish folk song which follows Joseph, a man who had an overcoat, which he remakes into something else (a jacket, a vest, a scarf, a handkerchief, a button) once “it gets old and worn.”  After losing the button, Joseph reports that he wrote a book about the overcoat and it’s many uses to illustrate that one “can always make something of nothing.”

Analysis

The text in Joseph Had a Little Overcoat contains uncomplicated sentence structure with repetitive words and phrases which lends itself to be read aloud with beginning readers.  Even further, the book can be read along to the tune of the Yiddish folk song found on the back cover, creating an even more enjoyable learning experience. 

  However, the quality of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat lies with the illustrations which are bold, playful and touch on the layered cultural aspects of the theme which add interest for adults.  Cleverly placed cut outs on the pages allow readers to see the progression of one item to the next, smaller, recycled reproduction of the beginning overcoat.

Beyond the visual playground found page by page, the moral of the story is definitely something that transcends the actual plot – “you can always make something of nothing” catapulting children towards eternal optimism while challenging them to strive to reuse, recycle and “think outside of the box.”      

Review Excerpts

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY – “Taback works into his folk art a menagerie of wide-eyed animals witnessing the overcoat's transformation, miniature photographs superimposed on paintings and some clever asides reproduced in small print (a wall hanging declares, ""Better to have an ugly patch than a beautiful hole""; a newspaper headline announces, ""Fiddler on Roof Falls off Roof""). With its effective repetition and an abundance of visual humor, this is tailor-made for reading aloud.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL --  “Striking gouache, watercolor, and collage illustrations are chock-full of witty details-letters to read, proverbs on the walls, even a fiddler on the roof. Taback adapted this tale from a Yiddish folk song and the music and English lyrics are appended.”

BOOKLIST – “Their colors are festive yet controlled, and they are filled with homey clutter, interesting characters, and a million details to bring children back again and again.”

Awards, Mentions and/or Honors

2000 Caldecott Gold Medal Winner

Enrichment Activities

ESL Printables - http://www.eslprintables.com/printable.asp?id=518407&random=true

Lesson Plans - http://www.readinga-z.com/book.php?id=1471

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