Summary: Joseph has a favorite overcoat that he likes to wear. He wears the overcoat out until he must make it into a jacket. After he has worn the jacket out he must make it into vest. This book tell the life of a Jewish man and how he is always finding new ways to use he is raggedy old overcoat.
Citation: Simms, T. (1999). Joseph had a little overcoat. New York: Viking.
Impressions: This is a very colorful book that is young and playful. It is perfect for young readers. I love how the book tells the story of the coat and every way Joseph could think of to use it. It is upbeat and light-hearted and an easy read for any child.
Reviews:
"Taback has clothed this well-known tale with comic characters, bold colors and a die-cut on each page to highlight the journey from coat to button to memory. The only thing left is to tell the story. Each page is enriched with details appreciated more by adults than children--for example, a newspaper headline reads "Fiddler On Roof Falls Off Roof" or "Chelm Rabbi Knows Why the Ocean is Salty" (It's due to the herring)!-Jan Lieberman
Lieberman, J.(1999). Joseph had a little overcoat (book review). Children’s Literature. Retrieved from Children’s Comprehensive Database.
"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. The simple text, which was adapted from the Yiddish song “I Had a Little Overcoat,” begins as Joseph makes a jacket from his old, worn coat. When the jacket wears out, Joseph makes a vest, and so on, until he has only enough to cover a button. Cut outs emphasize the use and reuse of the material and add to the general sense of fun. When Joseph loses, he writes a story about it all, bringing children to the moral “You can always make something out of nothing.” –Tim Arnold
Arnold, T.(2000). Joseph had a little overcoat (book review). Booklist Online, 6(9).Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.
Library Setting: At the end of this book there is an old Yiddish song that the author derived the concept of the book. The Programmer could teach more traditional Yiddish songs to the participants. The programmer could even bring in special instruments for the children use during the singing.
