Genre 1 - Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taback, Simms. 1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York: Penguin. ISBN 0670878553

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This carefully crafted picture book tells the story of Joseph, a man full of invention and creativity. As the material of his overcoat wears and tears, he cleverly devises new and practical uses for the material while it grows smaller with each subsequent use. Eventually, there is nothing left of the overcoat and Joseph draws on his memory of the coat as inspiration to create a story, driving home the moral “you can always make something out of nothing.”

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Taback’s writing is morally driven as he builds a story that inspires innovation and adaptation in even the simplest of things. He shows his readers that a small imperfection does not mean all is lost. Each page offers insight into the Polish culture in which Joseph lives through small illustrated details or even the Yiddish folk song provided at the end. His phrasing is simple and direct with a pattern that would lead children to easily follow along—as each page turns, we know Joseph will make something new and use it for a new purpose.

The illustrations and design are particularly interesting as they blend several techniques into a common product. The artwork embodies a combination of watercolor, gouache, pencil, ink, and collage. Each page is a rainbow of color and contains small detailed stories and insight in to Joseph’s life through pictures, textures (especially within the collage pieces), and wording in the background setting. Polish culture is highlighted through photos with traditional Polish names hanging on the walls, the address on the letter under the bed, and the content of books on the tables and shelves. The use of die-cut holes ties the story and each page together into a seamless tale of ingenuity and illustration. With each turn of a page we see how Joseph’s uses for the overcoat material are tied together and how Taback links each scene to the next. While each page’s artwork may seem rigid and eclectic, it provides readers with the opportunity to see something new each time they open the book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Children of all ages will joyfully swallow this book whole”
Starred review in BOOKLIST: “Taback's mixed-media and collage illustrations are alive with warmth, humor, and humanity”
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Read in alignment with THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY (also by Taback), noting the similar use of die-cuts.
*Have children discuss how other household items can be adapted or modified as they wear with age and use.
*Using a variety of material (i.e. paint, markers, crayons, magazines, pictures, etc.) create a “Taback-like” illustration that blends many medias into one piece of artwork.
*Lead a discussion with children about the moral of the story and how they have implemented its lesson in their lives (or how they might in the future).
*Employ the talent of a pianist, guitarist, etc. to perform a sing-a-long of the Yiddish song which inspired the book.