BOOK REVIEW – TRADITIONAL LITERATURE – JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT

BOOK REVIEW – TRADITIONAL LITERATURE –

JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT

(This is for an assignment:  LS 5603 @ TWU)

BIBLIIOGRAPHY

Taback, Simms.  1999.  JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT.   New York: Viking. ISBN 0670878553

PLOT SUMMARY

Joseph is an industrious man who knows the value of thriftiness.   He recycles his original coat to its fullest, until it is completely depleted.  Even with nothing, Joseph created a valuable channel to share with others, this book which also teaches “you can always make something out of nothing.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Taback uses repetition of three key word phrases, “Joseph had a little”, “It got old and worn” and “So he made”  to give this positive, upbeat story a rhythm that children can enjoy while participating in an interactive read aloud experience.   With the turn of each page the reader anxiously awaits to see each new article of clothing; and each one is an understatement of what can be accomplished/made with what ‘little’ a person owns.  Joseph’s handiwork is resourceful and functional as he wears it to a multitude of events.  Just when you think this fun story is gone and over, Joseph surprises us with his optimistic vision by creating this book.

The ingenuity of using dye-cuts for this revised edition sparks intrigue and imagination for children as they anticipate what will appear on the next page. The bright vivid colors and the many details of each illustration capture the reader’s attention to look in every nook and cranny to see what can be discovered.  The storyline itself does not tell the reader that Joseph lives in Poland or that his heritage is Jewish, but there is a plethora of objects to infer this information – such as a letter, poster, newspaper, card, book, menorah, clothing, music, picture, and more.

AWARDS

Winner of the 2000 Caldecott Award.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

HORN BOOK MAGAZINES (Jan/Feb 2000): “the book is as much a tribute to a vanished way of life as it is a story, but the tribute only enriches the tale”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLEY (11-1-1999): “bustling mixed-media artwork, highlighted by the strategically placed die-cuts, that steals the show”

BOOKLIST (1/1/2000): “a true example of accomplished bookmaking--from the typography and the endpapers to the bar code, set in what appears to be a patch of fabric”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (1/1/2000): “The rhythm and repetition make it a perfect storytime read-aloud”

CONNECTIONS

Vocabulary lesson – identify the word, learn its usage, and learn its associations (found at http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/joseph/objectives/)

Video – Between the Lions video Titled TWO COATS, ONE GOAT, AND ONE BOAT (found at http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/joseph/objectives/)

Art lesson – make yourself a vest (found at http://faculty. Salisbury.edu/~elbond/overcoat.htm)

Writing lesson – write a story about when you made something that you wanted but did not own (found at  http://faculty. Salisbury.edu/~elbond/overcoat.htm)

Other book suggestions to read:

Brown, Margaret Wise. THE GOLDEN EGG BOOK. ISBN-10: 037582717X ISBN-13: 978-0375827174

Piper, Watty. THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD.  ISBN: 0-448-40520-2

De Saint-Exupery, Antoine. THE LITTLE PRINCE, ISBN 0-15-152820-9