Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

By Simms Taback,

Book cover of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Book description

Joseph had a little overcoat, but it was full of holes—just like this book! When Joseph's coat got too old and shabby, he made it into a jacket. But what did he make it into after that? And after that?

As children turn the pages of this book, they can…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Joseph Had a Little Overcoat as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A big reason I love this book is that it’s so much fun to read over and over again—and then some more, finding joy in the cleverness of the text and more joy in the visual humor. (Taback won the Caldecott Medal for this book in 2000.) I also love stories with morals as long as they aren’t moralizing and this one, based on a Yiddish song, teaches “you can always make something of nothing” in the most delightful, warm-hearted manner.

Joseph has a striped overcoat and when it gets old he makes it into a jacket, and then a…

Want books like Joseph Had a Little Overcoat?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.

Browse books like Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Eastern Europe, folklore, and Jewish history?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Eastern Europe, folklore, and Jewish history.

Eastern Europe Explore 66 books about Eastern Europe
Folklore Explore 341 books about folklore
Jewish History Explore 455 books about Jewish history