Jim Aylesworth

Using the Yiddish folk song Hob Ikh Mir a Mantel ("I Had a Little Overcoat") as a starting point, author Jim Aylesworth and illustrator Barbara McClintock tell the tale of a man—the narrator's grandfather—who made himself a handsome coat for his wedding. A tailor by trade, the man wore his coat out, at which point he transformed it into a sharp jacket. Repeating the process, with the jacket becoming a vest, the vest a tie, the tie a kitten's toy, and the kitten's toy a mouse's nest, the narrative follows the grandfather through the years, as he raises a daughter, cherishes a granddaughter, and adores a great-granddaughter. Eventually the coat became nothing—nothing but a story...

Having greatly enjoyed many of the other picture-books created by this author/illustrator team—The Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Tale of Tricky Fox, etc.—I went into My Grandfather's Coat with pleased anticipation, and I was not disappointed. I found the story engaging, and appreciated the message about being frugal and remaking items in our possession, and the themes of hard work and family love. The accompanying artwork by McClintock, done in ink and watercolor, was lovely, although I don't know that I would say it was the best work she had done. There is another picture-book retelling of this song, Simms Taback's Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, which won the Caldecott Medal in 2000, that has a very different illustrative style. I enjoyed that telling as well, and think reading the two together would be an interesting exercise for young people on the idea that different authors and artists interpret the same source material differently. Recommended to fellow fans of this author and artist, as well as to those seeking picture-books with a Jewish cultural background.… (more)