Joseph had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (2000 Caldecott Medal Winner)

Joseph had a Little Overcoat

Joseph had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (2000 Caldecott Medal Winner)

I discovered this book when I was visiting my best friend in Alaska. One day I went with his wife and two sons to the library, and we got this book, among many others. The boys loved the song that was on the CD that came with the book.

It's a fairly simple formula story. We meet Joseph who has an overcoat that gets old, and rather than throw it out, he decides to recycle it into something else. He continues to recycle until he has nothing left except for a story, which he turns into the book. It's a great lesson for kids. It teaches them to wonder what else their broken things could become.

The song is also a great treat as it comes from a traditional Jewish song. You can use the song to talk about various forms of music, and some of the cultural traditions behind this story.

Take a look at this book, and I'm sure you will find plenty of applications for your classroom.