Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is a 1999 children’s picture book by Simms Taback that won the 2000 Caldecott Medal.[1][2] The book is a re-illustrated version of a book of the same name by Taback that was published in 1977.[3] The protagonist is Joseph, a Jewish farmer, who has a little striped overcoat. When it grows old, Joseph makes it into a little jacket and so on until he makes it into a button. Ultimately, Joseph loses the button, but is prompted to write a book based on his experiences. The moral of the story is "you can always make something out of nothing." In 2001, an 11-minute animated film based on the book, directed by Daniel Ivanick and narrated by Rob Reiner, was made by Weston Woods Studios, Inc.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat cover
AuthorSimms Taback
IllustratorSimms Taback
CountryUnited States
GenreChildren’s book
PublisherViking Press
Publication date
1999
ISBN978-0-670-87855-0
OCLC40159006
398.2 E 21
LC ClassPZ7.T1115 Jo 1999

The story has die-cut illustrations consisting of watercolor and collage.[4] Readers of the story say that Joseph greatly resembles Simms Taback.[5]

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is based on the Yiddish song I Had a Little Overcoat.[4][6] 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]

An animated version of the book was read on the children's show Between the Lions.[7]

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."[8] while Common Sense Media wrote "it will nudge its way onto your list of favorites."[9] 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."[10] The School Library Journal described it as "A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit."[10]

Awards

See also

References
  1. Barbara Kiefer Chairs the Caldecott Award Committee. June 1, 1999.
  2. Caldecott Medal Winners, 1938 – Present. Association for Library Service to Children.
  3. "Editions of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback".
  4. Judy Halpern. Green Teacher. April 1, 2003.
  5. Angie West, Jodi Stevens, Cheryl Delia, Valerie Bradshaw, and Mike Kahn. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.
  6. I Had a Little Overcoat
  7. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.
  8. "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat". www.publishersweekly.com. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  9. "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat". www.commonsensemedia.org. Common Sense Media Inc. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  10. "Joseph had a little overcoat". www.buffalolib.org. Buffalo & Eric County public Library. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  11. "Past Winners". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  12. "Caldecott winner All he can say is, Wow, wow, wow - CNN". 2012-09-30. Archived from the original on 2012-09-30. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
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