Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Joseph seems to think non-material things can be made into something.

It’s easy to understand making a vest from material.

Why is Paul content in every circumstance? What is contentment?.

How do you express your joy for the many gifts God gives you?

Joy is an important part of Joseph’s stewardship.

How does your community try to save and recycle? Do you know what happens to these things? How could you find out?.

Can you think of things you do that waste what you have-clothes, toys, school supplies, food? What changes could you make?.

What did Joseph do with his? Did he continue to enjoy what was left?.

Do you have any clothes that are worn out? What do you do with them?.

Joseph is a good companion in studies of stewardship, of care of the earth, in learning to praise and give thanks. And though Joseph says nothing about the source of his coat, we have ample reminders in the Bible about the source of our good gifts. Joseph demonstrates how to use what we have, not simply clothing but also the world’s resource responsibly and joyfully. Remarkably, as the material of the overcoat diminishes, Joseph finds continued occasions for joy. In our society of over consumption and planned obsolescence, Joseph is a model who creatively uses and re-uses.

Theological Conversation Partners: Joseph is a wonderful example of good stewardship nothing is wasted, possibilities are seen in worn and damaged goods, and everything is enjoyed. How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? Joseph lives in an unspecified time and place so the only perspective affecting the story is the richness and vitality of the Yiddish culture, the source of the song. When Joseph is left with nothing the room is empty and even the animals slip away when he begins to write the room becomes crowded again. The pages are filled with color and details: cloth, buttons, scissors, thread, people, animals, pictures, and such things as a news paper headline: Fiddler falls off roof. As each page is turned the reader can look at the next die cut hole and guess what Joseph’s coat will become. Literary elements at work in the story: This Caldecott Medal book is a marvelous wedding of story and picture. This slight story is based on an old Yiddish folk song that is included at the back of the book.

And that’s the moral: you can always make something out of nothing. When Joseph loses the button he has nothing left except a story to tell. The jacket is worn to a fair, the vest to a wedding, the scarf to a men’s chorus, the necktie to a family visit. Each coat transformation is accompanied by some joyful experience depicted in vibrant colors. As the jacket continues to wear out it becomes in turn a vest, a scarf, a necktie, a handkerchief, and a button. Summary: Joseph had a little overcoat that was worn and full of holes so he made it into a jacket.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback