Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (A Book Review)

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Review by Leighanne Massey)

Bibliography
Taback, Simms. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York: Penguin Young Readers Group, 1999. ISBN 0670878553

Plot Summary
The unique illustrations by Simms Taback really bring out the Polish traditions subtly configured in this story about a man who "can always make something out of nothing." The tale begins as the narrator informs the audience Joseph's coat is old and worn. For practical purposes Joseph decides to make it into a jacket. Then the jacket becomes old and worn and is turned into a vest. With each page, readers will soon catch on to the pattern of Joseph's story, constantly wondering "what can he possibly make next?"    
 
Critical Analysis
Set in a small village, Joseph's Overcoat is a story based on a Yiddish folk song called "I Had a Little Overcoat," which was author and illustrator Simms Taback's favorite song as a child. 
  
Carefully detailed and adorned with small artifacts on each page, readers will gain a glimpse into Taback's cultural representation of Polish life. With a predictable story line and a satisfying resolution, the magic of this simplistic tale lies mainly in the interactive pages and colorful warmth of the watercolors and collage illustrations. It is as if Simms constructs his own world out of thin air. Readers will be surprised in the end to find a real hand-written letter addressed to them as well as the song that inspired the story of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.          

Review Excerpt(s)

2000 Caldecott Medal Winner

"In today's throwaway world, Joseph's old-fashioned frugality is a welcome change. Based on a Yiddish song from Simms Taback's youth (lyrics and music reproduced on the last page), the book is filled with rhythms and arresting colors that will delight every reader." -Emilie Coulter

"As in his Caldecott Honor book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Taback's inventive use of die-cut pages shows off his signature artwork, here newly created for his 1977 adaptation of a Yiddish folk song. This diverting, sequential story unravels as swiftly as the threads of Joseph's well-loved, patch-covered plaid coat. A flip of the page allows children to peek through to subsequent spreads as Joseph's tailoring produces items of decreasing size." 
-Publishers Weekly

"Pre-Grade 3-A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit. When Joseph's overcoat becomes "old and worn," he snips off the patches and turns it into a jacket. When his jacket is beyond repair, he makes a vest. Joseph recycles his garments until he has nothing left. But by trading in his scissors for a pen and paintbrush he creates a story, showing "you can always make something out of nothing." 
-School Library Journal

Connections
Other Caldecott Medal books to check out:

• Gerstein, Mordicai. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. ISBN 9780312368784
• Rohmann, Eric. My Friend Rabbit. ISBN 9780312367527 
• Wiesner, David. The Three Pigs. ISBN 9780618007011

Other Simms Taback books to read such as: 

• Taback, Simms. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. ISBN 9780670869398
• Taback, Simms. This is the House That Jack Built. ISBN 9780142402009
• Taback, Simms. Kibitzers and Fools. ISBN 9780670059553 

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat could be used for children to begin their own predictable sequence of events writing. The story could also be used for oral retelling or a reader's theater center. Students can look for and discuss the cultural artifacts contained in the pages.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers could be used as a great lesson opener for the historic events of Sept. 11, 2001. 

The Three Pigs could be used as a variant tale to explore patterns and relationships between different stories on the same topic.