Review of JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Simms Taback

Bibliography
Taback, Simms. 1999. Joseph had a Little Overcoat. New York, NY: Viking ISBN 9780670878550


Plot Summary
Inspired by the Yiddish folk song “I Had a Little Overcoat,” Simms Taback writes about a resourceful character named Joseph. Joseph is a man of meager means, and we first see him draped in an old patched overcoat. When the overcoat becomes too worn, Joseph makes it into a jacket. When the jacket becomes worn, he makes it into a vest. And so it goes until he loses the now small button that was the only remnant left of the old overcoat. Never to be dismayed, resourceful Joseph turns his memory of the cloth into a book, proving “You can always make something out of nothing.”


Critical Analysis
Taback’s charming tale with a moral is written in a catchy, repetitive pattern which makes this a perfect book for early readers or English language learners. Each transformation of the overcoat begins with, “Joseph had a little (jacket, vest, etc). It got old and worn. So, he made a (tie, button, etc) out of it.” There is a steady rhythm to the book when read aloud, and young children quickly catch on to the objective. The children I read to began to giggle with anticipation of the next reinvention of the old worn cloth.


The illustrations are striking as deep, vivid colors are painted against a solid black backdrop. I got the sense that the drawings could be stills from a film reel. Each character is full of expression and drawn in a way that makes them appear to be frozen within animation. Talback also incorporates symbolism within his illustrations. In each evolution of the coat, a strategically placed hole is cut out in the shape of the new creation (i.e. vest, scarf, button, etc). The holes symbolize the holes in Joseph’s beloved overcoat.


The cultural elements in the story are seamlessly woven throughout the book. We learn of a Yiddish folk song, which is printed on the final page and is the inspiration for the book. There are also accents of Jewish culture sprinkled throughout the illustrations. For example, there are newspapers sprawled on the floor with humorous headlines reading, “Rabbi from Chelm Visits Kazrilevke” and “Fiddler on Roof Falls off Roof.”


Review Excerpts
2000 Caldecott Award
Publishers Weekly:  "The author puts a droll spin on his narrative when Joseph loses the last remnant of the coat--a button--and decides to make a book about it."

Connections
*This book could be used as a catalyst for conversations about topics ranging from creativity to recycling.
*Children could use this book as an inspiration to make a book about their favorite thing (i.e. teddy bear, a pair of shoes, etc), and how they could use it in different ways.
*This book could be used in the context of cultural lesson plans or as an addition to a multicultural book collection.