Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
1999 book by Simms Taback
978-0-670-87855-0Dewey Decimal
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.
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
- 1999: National Jewish Book Award for Children's Picture Book[11]
- 2000: Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration[12]
See also
Children's literature portal
- Something from Nothing another children's book based on the same story.
References
- ^ a b Barbara Kiefer Chairs the Caldecott Award Committee. June 1, 1999.
- ^ Caldecott Medal Winners, 1938 – Present. Association for Library Service to Children.
- ^ "Editions of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback".
- ^ a b 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. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ a b "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". 2012-09-30. Archived from the original on 2012-09-30. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Snowflake Bentley | Caldecott Medal recipient 2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by You Never Know | National Jewish Book Award recipient 1999 | Succeeded by Moishe's Miracle |
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