Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

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

PLOT SUMMARY:
Joseph makes something new out of his old overcoat.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Taback has turned a yiddish folksong from his childhood into delighful, interactive and colorful storybook that will entertain readers of all ages. As a realisitc and a culumulative tale, young listeners can participate in the repetitive phrases with every new thing made from the torn out overcoat. They will also enjoy the cut-outs, which give a clue to what the new items will be. With a mixture of watercolors, gouache, pencil, pen and collage, older readers will be enthrawed with real photos within the illustrations, especially the flower field, "town" scene, "fruit" field, and the lettuce patch. These pages resembles a "Where's Waldo" effect engaging the reader. Also delightful is collage illustrations that are visually stimulating.

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Caldecott Medal

From School Library Journal
"A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit."- Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly
"This diverting, sequential story unravels as swiftly as the threads of Joseph's well-loved, patch-covered plaid coat." Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

CONNECTIONS:
This book may be connected to a unit on recycling.  Taback also wrote the 1997 Caldecott Honor Book There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.