Book Review for Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Book Review by Allie Davis
MLIS 5603 Literature for Children and Young Adults

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tabock, Sims. 1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.  New York, Viking. ISBN 0670878553

PLOT SUMMARY
     Joseph, the protagonist, has a little overcoat that is ready to be thrown away.  Instead, he decides to recycle it into numerous artifacts including: a jacket, vest, scarf, necktie, handkerchief, and button.  After making each new article, he takes joy in it by entertaining himself in various ways.  He goes to a fair, a wedding, participates in a choir concert, goes to the city, and enjoys himself at home.  At the end of this folktale, when he loses the last item he has created from his overcoat, a small button, he is actually able to tell this story on paper so nothing is completely lost.   

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
     This folktale reads similarly to a regular children's story.  It gets straight to the point in simple, easy sentences format.  Within the narration of the story itself, no exact culture is portrayed.  The Yiddish culture from long, long ago is mainly insinuated from the illustrations, done also by the author.  Although never mentioned by name in the story itself, the illustrations indicate a foreign culture, evident through the hat Joseph wears, his beard, and other regalia worn by minor characters throughout the story.  Even though it is not specifically mentioned, even nonreaders and young readers will recognize a foreign flare in the fashion styles presented .  His illustrations are boldly colorful, from the top of the page, to the bottom.  There are interesting patterns of folk art with every imaginable color.  There is so much to look at that a reader can easily get lost in the pictures themselves and could spend hours looking at this book.  As the reader turns the pages, die-cut images are used to show what Joseph's new creation is going to be, a form of foreshadowing.  The die-cuts are woven into the previous page's illustrations.  For example, on page 2, the turkey feathers incorporate the new jacket found on page 3.  The feathers have taken on the shape of the jacket.
     The theme of this retold classic is stated at the end of the story.  The narrator states on the last page, after he has lost the button, "You can always make something out of nothing," including a book, when there was nothing else left of the overcoat.

AWARDS

•  Caldecott Award -- 2000 winner
• American Library Association Notable Books for Children -- 2000 winner
• Read Clover Award  --  nominated for 2001
• Bluegrass Award -- nominated 2001
• Golden Archer Award  -- winner 2001 
• National Jewish Book Awards  -- winner 1999
• Choice Award  -- nominated 2001
• Florida Reading Association Children's Book Award  -- nominated 2002

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
·       Horn Book Magazine, "...Left with nothing, he makes one more item, this book..." © January 1, 2000.
·       Publisher’s Weekly "...It's the bustling mixed-media artwork, highlighted by the strategically placed die-cuts, that steals the show..." © November 1, 1999.
·       School Library Journal, "...A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit..." © January 1, 2000.
·       USA Today, December 2, 1999.

CONNECTIONS
Gather similar books to read such as:
·       Whose Coat Is This by Laura Sales, ISBN 1404815988
·       Clothes and Costumes by Norman Lock, ISBN 0721434495
·       Hats, Hats, Hats by John Speirs ISBN 0307176517

Use as an introduction to units on clothing/dress, recycling, Jewish/Russian culture, sewing, and folktales.

ACTIVITIES

• Conservation challenges
• Class quilting blocks-sewn or pasted onto a background
• YouTube song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ37_s7X3jA
• YouTube reading at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsJ0GtNzd2o
• Lesson plans at http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/joseph/

https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=23137&a=1
https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bruchac/e/B001H6KFWE/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
https://prezi.com/lgbegghdf6ck/unit-2-lesson-9-day-1-how-chipmunk-got-his-stripes/