Joseph Had a Little Overcoat-Folklore

Taback, Simms. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York: Viking Publications, 1999.


Joseph is a middle aged, middle class Jewish man, who lives on a farm. Although he seemingly lives alone, the love of the community and those around him is made apparent through the author’s illustrations. Joseph highlights the importance of recycling by remaking his coat into something new, until nothing further can be made out of a button.

The book is very simple. The word choice is basic, but upon further analysis the images create a story of their own. Taback uses many different artistic mediums to portray Joseph’s life on the farm and the interactions he has with his neighbors throughout his life. Through collage, watercolor, pencil and ink, Taback finds ways to visually represent Joseph’s story and further captivates the reader.

Likewise, this book stresses the importance of story and folklore as evidenced by the author’s note at the end. The theme and plot stem from an old Jewish song which has been sung and passed down for generations. The song is taught in many Jewish day schools (including my own) making the book an even more important visual representation of an age old Jewish classic. Taback does an amazing job incorporating folklore and the past into present, modern times, and without a doubt, students and teachers of all ages and cultures can appreciate the moral of the story. We can all learn a thing or two about the importance of “Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling” through Joseph, and never has this been more applicable than in today's society.