Librarianjk recommends Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

by Simms Taback

Summary: This is the story of a man who has a tattered overcoat. Instead of putting it in the garbage, he makes it into a jacket, then a vest, then a scarf, etc.

The last line of the story is “you can always make something out of nothing.” This would also be an excellent story to discuss recycling and reuse. In a class, a great follow-up activity is to bring in something that would normally go into the trash can or recycling can and then ask children to create something they can use the material for. For example, a coffee can be decorated and used as an alternative to a piggy bank.

Interest Level: grades K-3
Reading Level: grade 2