Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Taback, Simms. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 0670878553

PLOT SUMMARY

Joseph started with an overcoat, and as it got warn, he repurposed it as another garment. Eventually, the overcoat turned into a button that got lost. He may have nothing left of his overcoat, but Joseph wasn’t empty-handed.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Simms Taback writes a charming story based on a Yiddish folk song that he enjoyed as a child. The story is written for young readers and contains a moral at the end. The main character continues to repurpose his overcoat into other garments, until he is left with nothing at all. He, then, writes a story about it, showing that he made something from nothing. The literal interpretation of this moral would be easy for children to understand and help them with the implied meaning.

The illustrations, also done by Simms Taback, are colorful two-page spreads. He used a combination of “watercolor, gouache, pencil, ink and collage” (copywrite page) to give the illustrations a collage-like effect. On the left-hand side of the page spread, Taback had an image of Joseph in his current garment, showing how it was getting warn and frayed. On the right-hand side of the page spread, a cutout appears. When the reader turns the page, the cutout shows what garment Joseph made next. The items in the pictures indicate Taback’s Jewish background and expose the reader to a little bit of the Jewish culture and symbols.

Additionally, the illustrations contain hidden details that are humorous or interesting. For instance, one page has a newspaper laying on the floor that says “Fiddler on Roof Falls Off Roof”. On the very next page, a man sits on a roof playing a fiddle. Additionally, the reader can find morals and philosophies ‘hidden’ throughout the pictures, such as “What one has, one doesn’t want, and what one wants, one doesn’t have”.

This is a great book to teach young readers to evaluate the text and illustrations alike. It is also a good way to talk about Jewish culture and expose children to items they may not be familiar with.

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

• The Caldecott Medal
• Amazon.com Reviews “the book is filled with rhythms and arresting colors that will delight every reader”
• Publisher’s Weekly “it's the bustling mixed-media artwork, highlighted by the strategically placed die-cuts, that steals the show”.

CONNECTIONS

• Have students write or share their meaning of “You can always make something out of nothing”
• Ask students what they think Joseph is like by his actions and the illustrations in the book.
• Select another book by Simms Taback and compare and contrast the two books
• What can the readers understand about Taback from examining this and other works by him.
• Rohmann, Eric. MY FRIEND RABBIT. ISBN 031236752X
• Wiesner, David. FLOATSAM. ISBN 0618194576
• Taback, Simms. THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY. ISBN 0670869392