Genre 1: Picture Books

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat


Taback, Simms. 1977/1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670878553.



Plot Summary
Knowing, though it is old and worn, it still has worth, a man finds many uses for a beloved overcoat. The story teaches the moral that it is possible to make something from nothing. The book ends with a note from the author and the song that inspired Taback's story.

Critical Analysis
As Joseph's overcoat becomes old and worn, he recycles it into a little jacket. As the jacket becomes old and worn, he turns it into a vest. As the vest becomes worn, he uses it to make a scarf. The story continues in this fashion until Joseph is left with a button. Upon losing the button, the reader feels a sense of abandonment as the artwork is sparse and the animals turn their backs on Joseph. Joseph then realizes that he is not left with nothing after all. He uses his experience with the overcoat to create a book, showing it is possible to make something out of nothing.

This story, which was adapted from a Yiddish folk song found at the end of the story, is a tribute to the Jewish culture. Taback uses artwork to weave European Jewish references throughout his book. Though the story is a simple one, the layering of the message and artwork are complex. With ever shrinking cutouts on every other page, the book encourages readers, both young and old, to predict what Joseph will create next.

Caldecott Award winners employ a visual experience to develop a story. Taback's artwork uses both drawings and real pictures to create eye-catching pictures on every page. His use of detail on each page engages the reader's attention as one does not want to miss anything on the pages. His vivid drawings help bring the story to life for the reader.

Much of Taback's artwork contains allusions to Sholom Aleichem, whose story of Tevye became the well-known musical "Fiddler on the Roof". Translated from Hebrew, Sholom Aleichem means "Peace be unto you". This message, along with the artwork, creates another layer of the story as one senses the peaceful life that Joseph leads. Taback is also able to show humor with his artwork. In one newspaper clipping, he gives us the headline "Fiddler on Roof Falls Off Roof".

Review Excerpts
Caldecott Medal/Honor

Starred review from School Library Journal:
"A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit."

From Booklist:
"This newly illustrated version of a book Taback first published in 1977 is a true example of accomplished bookmaking--from the typography and the endpapers to the bar code, set in what appears to be a patch of fabric. Taback's mixed-media and collage illustrations are alive with warmth, humor, and humanity."

Highly Recommended from Library Talk:
"Music to the song "I Had a Little Overcoat" is included on one of the final pages--an addition which, along with the illustrations, will bring readers back to this tale again and again."

Connections
~Art --Design your own vest- Using a brown paper bag cut it into the shape of a vest. Using marker, crayons, or other art supplies design the vest. For older students, find a discarded article of clothing and make it into something else that is useful.
~Find the pages that refer to Fiddler on the Roof. Find a picture of the Fiddler character in the movie or play. Compare the Fiddler character to Joseph.

Related Books

~Simms Taback's Caldecott Honor-winning There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and the classic Too Much Noise.

Book Cover art from www.librarything.com.