Review on JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Taback, Simms.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Taback, Simms. 1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. Ill. by Simms Taback. New York:Viking. ISBN 9780670878550

PLOT SUMMARY

Joseph had an old and worn overcoat that he liked so much. He wore it so often that it began to wear out. He did not get rid of it, instead he transformed it into many things.  The overcoat tore and he made it into a vest. This pattern is repeated throughout the story and we see the overcoat get smaller until it eventually turns into a button. The overcoat turns from a vest into a scarf, and from a scarf to a necktie. Then, it turned from a necktie to a handkerchief and finally to a small button. One day, Joseph loses the button and is left with nothing. He decides to make a story out of his loss and so the moral of the story is “ you can always make something out of nothing.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The story is based on one of the author’s favorite Yiddish folk songs from his childhood called “I had a little overcoat.” Throughout the story there is rhyme and repetition which keeps the reader’s engaged and ready for the next piece of clothing to be revealed. The pages have die-cuts throughout the book that creatively reveal the illustrated clothing as the story moves along. Each piece of clothing appears in a different setting from his farm to the fair and to his nephew’s wedding. We see the importance of his Yiddish culture throughout the story in the illustrations. There are musical scores, paper clippings, and little details of picture frames and book titles that make the reader look more closely to the Yiddish culture and customs. The illustrations made of watercolor, ink and collage draw the reader in to carefully look at the detail in the mixed-media art. They complement the story as the garments are appropriate for the setting. The story has a happy ending as Joseph manages to turn something out of nothing. 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist (Vol. 96, No.9/10 (January 1, 2000): “ This newly illustrated version of the book Taback first published in 1977 is a true example of accomplished bookmaking from the typography and the endpapers to the bar code, set in what appears to be a patch of fabric.”

Publishers Weekly (November 1, 1999): “...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.”

School Library Journal (January 2000): “ A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit.”

*ALA Notable Children’s Books, 2000

*Booklist, 01/01/00

*Bulletin of the Center for CHildren’s Books, 03/01/00

*Caldecott Medal, 2000

*Hornbook Magazine

*Publishers Weekly, 11/01/99

*School Library Journal, 05/01/02

CONNECTIONS

*This book is a great read for children led by an adult as they can guide them to look at the details. 

*This book lends itself to a great retelling opportunity through an art extension. Students can use recycled material to create all the garments Joseph created out of his overcoat. 

*Taback, Simms. THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY. ISBN 978-0-670-86939-8

*Ziefert, Harriet. A NEW COAT FOR ANNA. ISBN: 978-0-394-89861-2

*Hutchins, Pat. YOU’LL SOON GROW INTO THEM, TITCH. ISBN: 978-0-688-11507-4