Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Bibliography

Taback, Simms. 1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 0670878553

Plot Summary

Joseph is a simple man with an old and worn coat. As his coat becomes more and more worn Joseph finds many new ways to enjoy the coat. Eventually Joseph is left with nothing. Even though he is left with nothing from the original coat, he is able to turn it into something, teaching us all a simple lesson.

Critical Analysis

In this short Yiddish tale we are introduced to Joseph. While he doesn’t have a lot, he has the love of an old and worn coat and the innovation to turn it into something new each time it becomes old, worn and unwearable. This simple, uncomplicated character is easy for a young child to understand and learn from.

Simms Taback has introduced us to a setting without many details included in the story. In fact, reading only the words, one would have no clue the story was based on an old, Yiddish tune. We are quickly taken through the long life of the old and worn overcoat and an the accomplishment of Joseph creating a story over nothing.

You can always make something out of nothing and this is the lesson Simms Taback teaches the reader in Joseph Has a Little Overcoat. Children are able to relate to this theme, or moral, due to the feeling of having nothing to do, or nothing to play with. Students can understand the theme while feeling there is nothing to write about. You can always make something out of nothing, whether it is reinventing a toy the way Joseph reinvented his overcoat or writing a thoughtful, meaningful story over a simple event in their life.

The story of Joseph is based off a Yiddish folk song called “I had a Little Overcoat.” As with the song, the story of Joseph contains the same simple pattern that makes the story easy to remember and orally retell as well as makes it a simple story for early readers to catch on to. As with the character of Joseph, the plot and writing style is very simplistic.

It is with the award winning illustrations that the reader is introduced to the cultural aspect of this story. Simms has included so many details that readers are always able to find something new to soak in. In the details of the illustrations, the reader is introduced to the Yiddish culture through aspects like a Menorah in the corner and the clothes of the people. Illustrations of newspapers and books introduce us to the characters of the Yiddish language and tapestries on the wall give the more advanced some other thoughts to process such as, “When the coat is old, only the hoes are new.” The die cuts included by Mr. Taback keep the readers engaged as they try to predict what the next reinvention of the overcoat will be.

Review Excerpts

2000 Caldecott Medal Recipient

“…it's the bustling mixed-media artwork, highlighted by the strategically placed die-cuts, that steals the show. Taback works into his folk art a menagerie of wide-eyed animals witnessing the overcoat's transformation, miniature photographs superimposed on paintings and some clever asides reproduced in small print (a wall hanging declares, "Better to have an ugly patch than a beautiful hole"; a newspaper headline announces, "Fiddler on Roof Falls off Roof"). With its effective repetition and an abundance of visual humor, this is tailor-made for reading aloud.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“…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

Main Idea and Retelling Lesson
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat Technology Integration Lesson
Printables and Online Games

Other books by Simms Taback
-There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
-This is the House That Jack Built
-Kibitzers and Fools