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michelle_neuwirth_gray9311's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one. Loved the cutout parts that made his little overcoat tinier and tinier. A good length for a storytime read.
2000 Winner
2000 Winner
katieckb's review against another edition
4.0
This is a cute children’s picture book that is based around a Yiddish children’s song about a man named Joseph and his overcoat that he repurposes for many different uses as it becomes worn out over the years.
david_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
2000 Caldecott
A very colorful book kids will love. A very unique book based on a yiddish song (in the back - notes, cords, lyrics). The overcoat gets worn out, so cut off the worn part to salvage a jacket. Then a vest, then tie, then button. Every-other-page in the book has the pattern cut out yet hidden. When you turn the page, you see the object in the color of the original Overcoat.
It has a great ending with a moral: you can always make something out of nothing.
Kids are sure to love this.
I note that my library has this as a book on CD. Why? Caldecott winners MUST be seen!
I kind-of want to check it out to see how they sell it. Maybe the CD actually has a PDF file that launches.
A very colorful book kids will love. A very unique book based on a yiddish song (in the back - notes, cords, lyrics). The overcoat gets worn out, so cut off the worn part to salvage a jacket. Then a vest, then tie, then button. Every-other-page in the book has the pattern cut out yet hidden. When you turn the page, you see the object in the color of the original Overcoat.
It has a great ending with a moral: you can always make something out of nothing.
Kids are sure to love this.
I note that my library has this as a book on CD. Why? Caldecott winners MUST be seen!
I kind-of want to check it out to see how they sell it. Maybe the CD actually has a PDF file that launches.
calistareads's review against another edition
5.0
I love books with cutouts in them and this is done very well. The cutout is only for Joseph’s coat and every other page it gets smaller as the coat gets older. I wonder how it would keep getting smaller, and the author does a great job shrinking that down.
The artwork is interesting. It is watercolor and Gouache, pencil, ink and most of all collage. It’s a nice mixed media piece. This was made from an old song and Simms put new words to it. It’s for youngsters and it has a nice rhythm.
The kids enjoyed this. The nephew still enjoys anything tactile so he had to feel the opening of each page. He gave this 4 stars and the niece gave it 4 stars too.
The artwork is interesting. It is watercolor and Gouache, pencil, ink and most of all collage. It’s a nice mixed media piece. This was made from an old song and Simms put new words to it. It’s for youngsters and it has a nice rhythm.
The kids enjoyed this. The nephew still enjoys anything tactile so he had to feel the opening of each page. He gave this 4 stars and the niece gave it 4 stars too.
libraryjen's review against another edition
5.0
I used this in my Craft Cart Story Time (we read one book and then I set them loose to create their own masterpieces using whatever craft supplies are in the cart that day). The kids loved making something new and exciting out of something old and worn out!
middle_name_joy's review against another edition
5.0
Simms Taback gives credit to the Yiddish folk song, "I Had a Little Overcoat," for inspiring this picture book, but that song ties into the Jewish folktale of "something from nothing" that has been retold repeatedly in literature and can be traced back to early centuries as "Yesh me-Ayin" in Kabbalah and Hasidic philosophy. So, lots of history.
The moral presented in Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is one of thrift, ingenuity, and optimism. It's a moral that is often lost in today's society where much is disposable or upgradable. Yes, we have the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra, but for some it's thought only to apply to plastic and paper. Here, Joseph finds a way to happily repurpose his coat again and again.
The illustrations are Caldecott-worthy, indeed, featuring die-cut and fabric splotches. And all the little touches of Jewish culture throughout delight the observant reader.
The moral presented in Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is one of thrift, ingenuity, and optimism. It's a moral that is often lost in today's society where much is disposable or upgradable. Yes, we have the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra, but for some it's thought only to apply to plastic and paper. Here, Joseph finds a way to happily repurpose his coat again and again.
The illustrations are Caldecott-worthy, indeed, featuring die-cut and fabric splotches. And all the little touches of Jewish culture throughout delight the observant reader.
octavia_cade's review against another edition
4.0
This is charming. It's based, according to an author's note at the back, on a Yiddish folk song that's basically about recycling useless things into something else. In this instance, a worn-out coat gets made into a jacket, then a waistcoat, then a scarf, and so on. Which is all nice enough, but the stand-out element of the book are the illustrations. They're a sort of bright patchwork cut-out mix (I'm not an artist, if there's a name for this type of thing I don't know it). Anyway, they're wonderful.
zelma's review against another edition
3.0
Course evaluation:
Personal Response: I enjoyed the song-like quality of this story and bold colors. Joseph had an energy about him and I loved that he was involved in a fun activity in each scene.
Evaluation: Very young children will enjoy the repetitive text and rhythm of the story; the pattern of the story will appeal to their desire for repetitive sounds and sensory stimulation. The bright, bold colors also fulfill this age group’s need for visual stimulation, while the use of collage and cutouts will delight a child’s sense of whimsy and creativity. Readers will enjoy seeing the cutouts and guessing Joseph’s next item of clothing. The short story and basic plot will hold short attention spans while slightly older readers will respond to the detailed illustrations.
Personal Response: I enjoyed the song-like quality of this story and bold colors. Joseph had an energy about him and I loved that he was involved in a fun activity in each scene.
Evaluation: Very young children will enjoy the repetitive text and rhythm of the story; the pattern of the story will appeal to their desire for repetitive sounds and sensory stimulation. The bright, bold colors also fulfill this age group’s need for visual stimulation, while the use of collage and cutouts will delight a child’s sense of whimsy and creativity. Readers will enjoy seeing the cutouts and guessing Joseph’s next item of clothing. The short story and basic plot will hold short attention spans while slightly older readers will respond to the detailed illustrations.