Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is the title of a 1999 book by Simms Taback that won the 2000 Caldecott Medal.[1][2] The main character is Joseph, a Jewish farmer, who has a little striped overcoat. When it is old, Joseph makes it into a little jacket and so on until he makes it into a button. Then Joseph loses the button and makes a story out of it. The moral of the story is "you can always make something out of nothing."
 Joseph Had a Little Overcoat cover | |
| Author | Simms Taback |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Simms Taback |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
Publication date | 1999 |
| ISBN | 978-0-670-87855-0 |
| OCLC | 40159006 |
| 398.2 E 21 | |
| LC Class | PZ7.T1115 Jo 1999 |
The story has die-cut illustrations consisting of watercolor and collage.[3] Readers of the story say that Joseph greatly resembles Simms Taback.[4]
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is based on the Yiddish song I Had a Little Overcoat.[3][5] Barbara Kiefer, chair of the Caldecott Award Committee, commented, "Vibrant rich colors, playful details, and skillfully-placed die cuts contribute to the books raucous merriment that takes this Yiddish folk song far beyond the simple words."[1]
The story is read on the children's show Between the Lions.[6]
Reception
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat has been favorably received. Publishers Weekly found "With its effective repetition and an abundance of visual humor, this is tailor-made for reading aloud."[7] while Common Sense Media wrote "it will nudge its way onto your list of favorites."[8] Booklist called it "a true example of accomplished bookmaking" and "Taback's mixed-media and collage illustrations are alive with warmth, humor, and humanity. Their colors are festive yet controlled, and they are filled with homey clutter, interesting characters, and a million details to bring children back again and again."[9] The School Library Journal described it as "A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit." [9]
Awards
- 1999: National Jewish Book Award for Children's Picture Book[10]
- 2000: Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration[11]
References
- Barbara Kiefer Chairs the Caldecott Award Committee. June 1, 1999.
- Caldecott Medal Winners, 1938 – Present. Association for Library Service to Children.
- Judy Halpern. Green Teacher. April 1, 2003.
- Angie West, Jodi Stevens, Cheryl Delia, Valerie Bradshaw, and Mike Kahn. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.
- I Had a Little Overcoat
- Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.
- "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat". www.publishersweekly.com. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat". www.commonsensemedia.org. Common Sense Media Inc. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- "Joseph had a little overcoat". www.buffalolib.org. Buffalo & Eric County public Library. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- "Past Winners". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- "Caldecott winner All he can say is, Wow, wow, wow - CNN". web.archive.org. 2012-09-30. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
See Also
- Something from Nothing another children's book based on the same story.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Snowflake Bentley |
Caldecott Medal recipient 2000 |
Succeeded by So You Want to Be President? |
| Preceded by You Never Know |
National Jewish Book Award recipient 1999 |
Succeeded by Moishe's Miracle |