I really loved this book. It is based on an old Yiddish song. It is the story of a man who has a worn overcoat. It begins to wear out. When you turn the page there is a cutout that shows it has been made into a jacket then a vest, a scarf, tie, suspenders, then buttons. When it can't be made into anything else he creates the book. ( )

Caldecott winning book with lots of details in the brightly colored illustrations (against a dark background). Children enjoy guessing what the next item of clothing will be based upon the hole cut in the page. They can also read along since the structure repeats: Joseph had a little [item of clothing] . It got old and worn. So he made a [smaller item of clothing] out of it and [did something].

What's left at the end in this version of the Yiddish song are a book AND a moral: "you can always make something from nothing." The song, with musical notation, is at the back of the book, along with an author's note explaining that the illustrations are revised.

Can be used to discuss shtetl life. Also, what is left when everything else has gone away is the story of everything going away. Memory can survive events and things. But only if it is shared and handed down/along to others. See Elie Wiesel's story about the generations of Hasidic rabbis successfully who pray (with less and less information) to save their community.

Or, if you also read Something from Nothing and Bit by Bit, you can make a bar graph showing the number of times the articles of clothing are used in all the books. You can also make your own overcoat out of paper and cut it up to match the story if you plan it carefully. Or bring in the various clothes mentioned, show them at the appropriate time and let a small class try them on after the book is finished. ( )

This book is good for children kindergarten to first grade. Joseph has a coat and it continues to get worn. As it gets smaller, he makes it into different things. Then he makes it into a button, but he loses it. So, he writes a book about it which teaches children how to make something out of nothing.

This is a great example of a folk tale because it allows "the reader to relate with the character and develop an understanding of the culture's values" (from class glossary). Taback shows how resourceful Joseph is, and how even when he has nothing left, he can still make something.

Media: Watercolor, gouache, pencil, ink, and collage (these were definitely listed on the info page...) ( )

Find gospels stories that have been re-told in all four gospels and have them compare the re-tellings. ( )