Joseph Had A Little Overcoat

By Simms Tabak

ISBN 0-670-87855-3
Hardcover $15.99
Viking (A member of Penguin Putnam)

I know this is the year's most famous book in 2003 because it won the caldecott medal, but I couldn't resist giving it some more play on our website. Taback so clearly loves children and is fully aware of the child's close attention to detail. He plays with words, he plays with artwork, and he plays with his readers--truly. This book contains multiple stories within it. The words tell one story (with a great message), the illustrations of Joseph and his many expressions tell another, the collages tell another, and the photos hanging on Joseph's walls tell yet another. And the cut-outs are so fun for toddlers and young readers.

Also, this book is well worth the price you pay. The end sheets are filled with collage artwork, the pages are extremely thick and durable, and there's even sheet music to Taback's favorite yiddish folk song called, "I Had a Little Overcoat." I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages.