Week 2: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Book Cover Image:

Book Summary:

This book gets its beginnings from an old Yiddish folk song. The story tells of

a man named Joseph who has a worn out overcoat. He does not want to waste it by throwing it out, so as it gets more worn, he finds creative ways to recycle and reuse it. He makes a jacket, a vest, and even a button out of this original overcoat. This 1999 version is a newly illustrated book from 1977. In fact, this new version earned a Caldecott medal.

This book is best suited for grades preschool-3. 

APA Reference:

Taback, S. (1999). Joseph had a little overcoat. New York, NY: Viking.

My Impressions:

Being a Caldecott winner, the author/illustrator does an excellent job with his use of various media. He uses die-cuts, collage, watercolor, pencil, and ink. The book not only has a lovely story and theme, but the art is very engaging. The pictures come alive with all the color and texture used. His house for example, has quilt-like rugs, multi-patterned window coverings, and many other colorful things featured. Proverbs and photos line the walls along with newspapers and letters on the floor. He uses such detail in every page one can look at it for hours and not get bored. Fiddler on the Roof comes to mind when reading this book. The vibrant art and the lovely positive message of making something out of nothing by reusing and recycling, makes this a great read for kids and even adults.    

  

Professional Review:

“Pre-Gr 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." Clever die-cut holes provide clues as to what Joseph will make next: windowpanes in one scene become a scarf upon turning the page. 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. The rhythm and repetition make it a perfect storytime read-aloud.”

Review Reference:

Ludke, L., & Jones, T. E. (2000, January 1). Preschool to grade 4: Fiction. [Review of the

book Joseph had a little overcoat, by S. Taback]. School Library Journal, 46(1), 112. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Library Uses:

Focus ages: grades preschool-3

This book can be used in a themed book talk about recycling and reusing.

This book can be the inspiration for a collage art project. The students can find pictures of items they can reuse or recycle and make a collage out of it. They can all share their ideas with classmates to inspire them to also find creative ways to recycle. It would be a good project to do around Earth Day.