Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

 

Traditional Literature Review

Bibliography:

Taback, S. (1999). Joseph had a little overcoat. Penguin. 

ISBN 0670878553

Plot Summary:

Joseph had a little overcoat, but it soon became as full of holes as the pages of this book! As the story continues, Joseph wears his coat until it is old and worn, then turns it into something new. It goes from an overcoat to a jacket, from a jacket to a vest, and so on. The die-cut pages help readers guess what smaller and smaller items have been created from the worn-out garment. Joseph's animals and neighbors watch in surprise as Joseph mends and creates, until the pieces of his overcoat become so small, maybe he cannot create anything more!

Critical Analysis:

Simms Taback draws from a Yiddish folk song called "I Had a Little Overcoat" to create his colorful and clever story. Single, repetitive lines of text on each page make this a simple book for readers of all ages to read, understand, and enjoy. Taback's art blends the use of watercolor, Gouache (similar to watercolor but less transparent), pencil, ink, and collage. Young readers may delight in seeing the use of real photographs of food and people collaged with Taback's drawings. Die-cut pages give a glimpse of what Joseph will create next and provide a clever look at the new creation. Small details in the illustrations help give clues to the European Jewish background of Joseph and the story. The style of clothing worn by Joseph and his neighbors, items like a menorah and a dreidel, and newspaper clippings saying things like "Fiddler on Roof Falls Off Roof" all indicate this background. A note from the author and sheet music of the original song provide more context for the reader.

Review Excerpts:

"This diverting, sequential story unravels as swiftly as the threads of Joseph's well-loved, patch-covered plaid coat." -Publisher Weekly

"...clever, visually engrossing, poignant, it's worth holding on to." -Horn Book Magazine

Connections:

This book lends itself to a few excellent art lessons. Younger students would enjoy decorating an outline of Joseph's overcoat with fabric like the images found on the book's inside cover. Older students may like to use the idea of reusing materials to create something new out of scraps of cardboard, fabric, old toys, or anything else that might otherwise be thrown away! This could easily extend into a lesson about "reduce, reuse, recycle."

Music teachers could use the book in a music lesson as well, using the music and lyrics at the end of the book to draw from.

Awards

Josepsh Had a Little Overcoat won the Caldecott Medal in 2000.