Traditional Literature Review: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

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Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taback, Simms.  1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York: Viking Press. ISBN  978-0-670-87855-0
2.  PLOT SUMMARY
Joseph is a Jewish farmer who has an old, worn overcoat. He decides to make it into a jacket rather than getting rid of it. Once the jacket is old and worn, he decides to make the jacket into a vest. He continues recycling the overcoat into different clothing items until eventually he has nothing left. When he has nothing left, he decides to write a book about the whole experience. Based on the Yiddish folk song, “I Had a Little Overcoat”.
3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS
JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT has a repetitive, rhythmic pattern, which seamlessly translates the printed text into a read aloud story. The thin lines, bright colors, and superimposed photographs of people and patterns bring the illustrations in this folktale a cozy, cheerful feel. The author is clear that there is a moral in this story (stating on the title page “and there’s a moral, too!”) and that moral is clear and direct, simply saying, “you can always make something out of nothing.” Joseph’s cheerfulness about an old, worn overcoat will have young readers beaming with delight as they read this story.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “With its effective repetition and an abundance of visual humor, this is tailor-made for reading aloud.”
KID’S READS: “Cheery, mixed-texture paintings and a folk-art style make this a particularly snappy story”
5. CONNECTIONS
-Students can learn the yiddish folk song that inspired this folktale which is printed in the back of the book. They can perform after a read aloud.

-Put students into small groups, and give them a few “random” items, such as buttons, string, tape, etc. See what they can come up with to create “out of nothing”.

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