Book Description

The well-known children's song is illustrated using a die-cutting technique that stays with one picture but reveals each new animal 'swallowed' as we come to it in the verses of the song. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Delightfully Silly
Perhaps I was just in a weird mood when I first read this book to my son, but I just found it laugh out loud hilarious. The expressions on the old lady's face are just too much, and the clever running commentary by the about-to-be-swallowed animals just adds to the fun.

The artwork is colorful and detailed, and there is plenty of little details for a smartalecky kid (or a smartalecky adult) to pick out of the background. My son loved this book and so did I. I would heartily recommend it. I will actively seek out other books by Simms Tayback.

LOVE THIS BOOK!
I remember singing "There was an Old Lady..." all the time in preschool, so when I found out that there was a book of this song, I had to buy it for my baby daughter. Not only is the song fun to sing, but the book is fun to read as well with its vibrant colors and cartoony illustrations. This is an excellent sing along book!

Fun to Read
I don't know of many stories that are more fun to read. My daughter loves the animals and the bright pictures. The words will keep her attention through about half the book usually. She is still young though and some of the pages towards the end get a little long. The book is probably better suited for children 2 and older.

I love this story
I love to read this book the children in school.

It is a silly story and I try to make each child in the circle
one of the things in the Old Lady's belly as we go along. At the end of the book they almost know all the parts by heart!!

An old favourite updated
The illustrations are wonderful and the story is fun.My kids love it, they are aged 6,4,2 .Highly recommended. The people who have given this book a bad review are taking life too seriously. I also recommend "Walter the Farting Dog", "Dirty Bertie" and "Frank Was A Monster Who Wanted To Dance".These are all fun books for children and put laughter into reading! ... Read more

Book Description

Basic objects in a child's world -- playthings, clothing, food, and animals -- are featured in this generiously-sized, bright, colorful book. The one-word-per-page format is perfect for keeping baby's attention and teaching them to start identifying words with images. Taback's illustrations are sure to delight young children -- from baby, to toddler, to preschooler -- and adults. ... Read more

Book Description

This deceptively simple, excitingly illustrated board book is based on a telling theme- that every animal has its own distinct sound. The text is perfectly targeted to the youngest children, who will thoroughly enjoy lifting the flaps and matching the baby animals to their mothers. The sumptuously colorful illustrations are sure to catch the rapt attention of the smallest child. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Favorite at Our House
My son received this book as a gift when he was just a baby. He loved it then--so much so that some of the flaps were "loved" off the pages--and he loves it now.

my 21-month old's favorite book
my twin daughters love this book more than any other book they have, except Richard Scarry books. they love how the rooster and the other animal (pig, cat, donkey, dog, sheep, cow) changes when you flip the half-page, and they never seem to tire of announcing the animal's names and sounds they make every time we turn a page. the illustrations are colorful and fun for adults to look at, and the last page has all the animals again, so the girls get to recite their inventories of names and sounds all over again. best of all, i'm amazed at how well this book has lasted, considering it's not a board book, and we've read it a dozen times a day for months now.

Excellent baby gift
We received this book as a gift when my son was born, and I started to read it to him when he was just a few weeks old. Even then this book captivated him because the colors and pictures are so engaging. My son is still little (only 10 months), but it's clear that this is his favorite book -- he pulls it off the shelf to look at the pictures and brings it to us to read. Even after reading and re-reading this book for almost a year, the book is still in great condition (only one broken flap), we haven't tired of the story yet, and I'm sure we'll be reading it for a long time to come!

Barnyard Etiquette
The rooster is interrupted during his morning crow by someone who says, "moo". Whoever can it be? This delightful book investigates farm animals and their noises in a "lift the flap" format. The edition we have is a board book and is very durable... good thing, too, as my two-year-old son loves this book! Bright, colourful illustrations will attract your child's attention... fun and funky.

My 1-year-old loves it!
This book was the favorite of my now 5-year-old son and is now the favorite of my 14-month-old daughter. With its outrageously colorful pictures, repetitive (predictable for baby) text, and lift-the-flap for the punchline design, it's a brilliant baby and toddler book. While it's not a board book, the pages are tough enough to stand up to endless readings. ... Read more

Book Description

Caldecott Award-winner Simms Taback infuses this favorite children's rhyme with his distinctive, creative flair and humor. His Jack builds a house like no other and fills it with cheeses from all nations, which of course attracts the rat that stirs up the cat. Taback takes the usual cast of characters in this classic cumulative rhyme and presents each in a funny new light that will keep readers laughing. His addition at the end neatly fits an appropriate character into Jack's story and makes his telling even more unique. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Let's Visit The House that Jack Built.....
As Simms Taback tells the reader at the end of this rollicking, fun-filled adventure: "This Is The House That Jack Built, a favorite rhyme for children for several centuries, was first published in 1755 and probably derived from an ancient Hebrew chant in the 16th century. It was illustrated by Randolph Caldecott in 1878." And now this old and popular chain of events story gets the brilliant Taback treatment. Each clever and creative two page spread dazzles with vibrant color, marvelous, eye-popping detail, and witty asides. Children will revel in all the joyous, manic fun as they linger and explore each intriguing page, finding something new and exciting each time they open the book. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, This Is The House That Jack Built is a timeless masterpiece the whole family can read, share, and laugh over together, and a picture book no home should be without.

a fantastic version
A colorful, busy, fun illustrated retelling of a classic tale. Each page bursts with so many details it would be difficult to list them all here, although I'll try. For example, on the cheese "that lay in the house that Jack built" page, ten cheeses are listed with the level of "smell" they give off, and on the "cat that ate the rat" page, many different types of felines are shown with a description of their personalities--and those are just the start of what is on each page. How does this tie in with the story? I'm not sure, but it doesn't really matter--it's so much fun finding all the details as well as hearing the repeating chant of the story over again makes for a fine time reading. Very fun and should keep a little one busy. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When Joseph's favorite overcoat gets old and worn, he makes a jacket out of it. When the jacket is more patches than jacket, Joseph turns it into a vest. When the vest's number is up, Joseph makes a scarf. This thrifty industry continues until there's nothing left of the original garment. But clever Joseph manages to make something out of nothing! (And that's the foreshadowed moral of the story.)

In today's throwaway world, Joseph's old-fashioned frugality is a welcome change. Based on a Yiddish song from Simms Taback's youth (lyrics and music reproduced on the last page), the book is filled with rhythms and arresting colors that will delight every reader. As more and more holes appear in Joseph's coat, die-cut holes appear on the pages, hinting at each next manifestation. The illustrations are striking, created with gouache, watercolor, collage, pencil, and ink. Every inch of space is crammed with fanciful, funny details, such as the headline on a discarded newspaper: "Fiddler on Roof Falls off Roof." Taback, esteemed creator of the Caldecott Honor-winning There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and the classic Too Much Noise, has produced a picture book that is as well turned out as its dapper hero. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Word and Picture Connection
Joseph Had A Little Overcoat, by Simms Taback, is about a Jewish man named Joseph and his story with his overcoat and how it became to be non-existent. Joseph starts the book with a worn out over coat, with colorful patches. As time goes on the overcoat is eventually worn into nothing. Through out the book different articles of clothing are made out of the material. This can help a reader learn what things such as a scarf or a vest are because the word is shown and a visual of the word is on the page. Visualization is the key to learning new words. The creativity that is in this book is astounding. The pictures, colors, and cut outs help the reader visualize what Joseph is doing with the fabric from the overcoat. A lot of children do not use scarves and vest and handkerchiefs all to often. The pictures and cut outs in this book help the child learn new words such as those with a visual aid. This book also teaches animals and other objects that can pose questions in a child's mind and help expand their vocabulary. With the pictures of the clothing, a child can see what a "scarf" is or something else that they might not be sure of what they are. If the child doesn't know what a word is they can see the picture and understand that it is a vest, and that can help them relate a word to a picture. I feel that Taback does a wonderful job tying in all the elements that help teach a child to read. This book is very educational with the word and picture connection. This book is a creative way to teach clothing, new words, and sparks ideas about objects and their alternate uses. It is very important for children to understand what a word is when they use it. In our society it is seems as though no one has time anymore to sit down and explain what certain words are. It is sort of expected for children to learn by themselves. Joseph's little adventure with his coat can help a child learn different articles of clothing and different uses of words. If a child can read then they can learn the words because the picture is right there in front of them. We all have different ways to learn, and it a child is a visual learner then I strongly suggest this book and this method of teaching.

Something can always be made into something else.
Taback, Simms. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York: Penguin Group, 1999 Set in a small farming community, Joseph Had a Little Overcoat tells the story of a man named Joseph who has nothing but turns nothing into something. Joseph has an overcoat that is "worn and shabby". He decides to make it into a jacket. When the jacket becomes worn, Joseph makes it into a vest and this process of making a new article of clothing out of the worn overcoat material continues throughout the book. Then one day, Joseph loses his button and has nothing. As always, Joseph turns his nothing into something by writing a book about this overcoat. Taback uses the illustrations, the simple text, the cover and the dye-cut pages to convey the book's theme: something can always be made into something else. The cover of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat has a black frame around the illustrations and Joseph's name is made out of scrap material, the overcoat has dye-cut holes to show that it is worn, the words are written in yellowish-orange and the S and the T in Taback's name are written in red. All these features will appear again within the pages of the book. As the reader turns to the endpaper, the reader will notice that they appear to be made of scrap material. The scrap material creates interest in the reader, foreshadowing that the overcoat will be made into other article of clothing. The title pages give the reader more insight into Joseph's daily life. Once again, Joseph's name is written in scrap material to indicate his resourcefulness. The two orange pages make the reader feel warm and loving toward Joseph. The title pages also have fruit, thread, vegetables, scissors, needles, and buttons scattered around. These items suggest that Joseph is a simple man who farms for a living. Simms uses the black framing, dye-cut pages, the J in Joseph's name written in red and the words written in yellowish-orange again. These four things stay constant throughout the entire book. Taback did this to show consistency in Joseph's life. The black frame and the illustrations span both pages, creating a window effect, which allows the reader to become an observer of Joseph's life. Taback uses warm colors to make the reader feel comfortable and at home. The yellowish-orange color was used in writing the word to again make the reader feel comfortable with Joseph and what is happening in the story. Die-cut holes are skillfully used throughout the book to show the reader what Joseph will make next. They also remind the reader that the article of clothing came from an old worn out piece of clothing. At the very end of the story, Taback writes the readers a letter telling them that he adapted the book from an old Yiddish folk song called "I had a Little Overcoat"; opposite the letter, Taback has the music and words to the song. Adding the song to the end makes the book more personal. The final pages are again scraps of material to remind the reader of the ongoing theme: something can be made out of nothing.

Joseph is Superb
This 4th edition of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat varies from its 1977 version in that the watercolor, Gouache, pencil, ink and collage artwork draws attention to subtle message in the terse, repetitive storyline. "Joseph had...So he made...out of it." Clues in the pictures provide important background information like a letter with Joseph's full name that informs us that he's a Jewish man living in Poland; a menorah; pictures hanging in his unkempt farmhouse. Also eye-pleasing are the cut-outs throughout the book that outlines subsequent clothing - all from one disheveled overcoat. Simms Taback uses every square inch of every double-page spread illustration for something. There is boldness in color in everything. It is to be enjoyed by both the reader and the listener, like producers of children's cartoons have grown to understand. Presumably, pictures of real historical figures decorate the pages and house of Joseph. Molly Picon hangs on the wall left of Maurice Schwartz, and a chapter of an open book reads "If I Were a Rothschild" by a Mr. Aleichem. This book is a perfect example of pictures sometimes meaning more than words, even though the few words actually drive the story. Intended for ages 4-8, the whole can receive something substantive from Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.

It's all about making do...
Such a wonderful story to counteract a throwaway culture! Children will enjoy it for its matter-of-fact humor, clever cut-out format and almost primitive art. Adults will love it for the frugal message that manages to be clear without a lot of pedantic moralizing.

WV State College Student
I am a student at West Virginia State College currently taking a class called Children's Literature. Our instructor required us to read a Caldecott Medal book as part of our assignment and write our personal view of the book.

This is a great children's book. This book is about a man named Joseph who had an overcoat, which gets old and worn and he makes a jacket out of it. Once the jacket gets olds and worn, he makes a vest out of it. Joseph continues to make something out of the overcoat until there is nothing left to make out of it. The moral of the story is you can always make something out of nothing.

The pictures in this book are very bright and colorful. The pages in the book have cut outs so the children can use their imagination and guess what Joseph will make next. This would be a great book to read aloud in a classroom for children of ages 5 - 8. ... Read more

Book Description

Peter thinks his house is noisy until the village wise man teaches him a lesson in perspective. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful book for discussing loud and soft sounds
As an elementary music teacher, I have found that Too Much Noise is an excellent story to read in music class when discussing dynamics (louds and softs) to first graders. After learning sound effects, i.e. "creaking","squeaking", "swish", "hiss" and animal noises, my students get swept up in the gradual crescendo of the story. The sudden quiet effect that occurs in the room when all the animals leave the old man's house is breath-taking and mesmerizing to the children. One can literally hear a pin drop. Such is the power of great story-telling!

The absolute best!!
This was one of my favorite stories as a kid, and still is as an adult. The text is easy to read with good repetition, without being dull. My daughter loves it as much as I do. As an amature storyteller, I can say this story is always a hit.

Fun for the reader and audience. Wonderful tale.
This is one of my favorite children's books. It is a lot of fun to read and has repetative sounds that children love to hear. The audience of children can begin to anticipate what you are going to read and therefore participate in the reading of the book. It is also a classic tale as it reminds the reader and audience of how one needs to appreciate what one has, because it could be worse. A farmer complains to a judge that his house is too noisy. The judge instructs the farmer to obtain different animals one at a time until the poor farmer has a house full of a variety of animals. The judge then has some further instructions that in the end the farmer is very happy and content with how his home was in the beginning, and his home does not seem so noisy anymore. I would highly recommend this book for parents and teachers to read to children between the ages of 3-7yrs. ... Read more

Book Description

How many different ways of walking can you name? Join a parade of animals on their way to the zoo to find out! Can you prance like a lion? Dance like a gazelle? Can you saunter like a giraffe? Kangaroo jump? March like a camel with a bumpity hump? Simms Taback's big, bright, and bold illustrations make following these wild and wonderful creatures more fun than a barrel of monkeys! ... Read more

Amazon.com

For children who are passionate about machines, especially the reallybig ones, Road Builders, cheerfully illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Simms Taback, is a wonderful find. Youngsters are introduced to the vast assortment of fascinating machines involved in building a road, and tothe industrious crew of folks who operate these mammoth vehicles. Step by step, a road is born: dirt is scooped away by the power shovel, bulldozer, and backhoe, then the grader smoothes the ground as the other trucks arrive with cement and asphalt. Finally the power roller packs it all down, and the "striper" lays down the lines at the center of the road. But you'll have to read the book to figure out what the cherry picker does! Boldly illustrated with bright, saturated colors, Road Builders is a visually dynamic introduction to the people and machines that bring new roads to life. (Ages 2 to 6) --Marianne Painter ... Read more

Reviews (6)

My boy loves this book!
If your little one is interested in construction machines, this book is a must. It is great. My boy memorized the words to this book when he was three and it helped him learn to read. The pictures are wonderful-- colorful and cartoonish yet very detailed as well.

Great step by step description
This is an excellent book. Starts with an overview and pictures of all the trucks needed to build a road and then proceeds with step-by-step with a picture of each truck doing its work. My son (who is 2 and 1/2) and I really enjoy this book. Our other truck books tend to show the whole process of building a road on one page and that is too overwhelming. This book does it just right!

Familiar Surroundings
My little boy has always been interested in machines and equipment as his daddy runs a blacktop plant. Imagine our surprise as we read through this wonderful construction book and learned that Simms Taback is our neighbor! All of the places listed in the book on road signs, equipment, and on the map are from our area. We were so intrigued by all of the familiar sites that we pointed it out to our local librarian who informed us that although she was not aware of the sites in the book, YES, Simms Taback lives in our town. ....It makes us wonder about the loader operator named Joe, who has the same name as daddy, who runs the loader at our asphalt plant! GREAT BOOK!!!!!

A wonderful book and a joy to read (over and over and over)!
I have twin 2.5 year-old boys and they love this book. Because of this book, when we are out driving around, they will tell me when they see a backhoe, a paver, or any other machinery they recognize. We read this book 3-4 times a day and it is new and exciting each time!

The perfect "all-boy" book for boys of all ages!
This is "The Favorite" book in our house! We first started reading this to our son when he was 2. Now he is 5 and still loves it. Our second son is now 2 and it is his favorite! The illustrations are the best around and the story is easy for kids to understand. We have learned about the different kinds of construction vehicles and what they do. The boys are able to name the different kids of trucks when they see them on the road. I have bought this books for many of my friends who have recently had baby boys so they can enjoy it to! ... Read more

Book Description

A boisterous parade of farm animals on their way to the barn certainly can cause quite a stir. With the cow mooing, the piglet oinking, the duck quacking, the chickens pecking and the cat meowing, it's a wonder they arrive at all. When they all get to the barn, children will clamor to make their own animal noises. ... Read more

Book Description

This deceptively simple, excitingly illustrated board book is based on a telling theme- that baby animals are known by names quite different from their parents (cow and calf, goat and kid). The text is perfectly targeted to the youngest children, who will thoroughly enjoy lifting the flaps and matching the baby animals to their mothers. The sumptuously colorful illustrations are sure to catch the rapt attention of the smallest child. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A hit with the 2 year old
She loves this lift the flap book that teaches the terms for baby animals and animal sounds. I like it because the flaps are all shaped differently and are at odd angles. The illustration is cute too, and the last page has all the animals lined up so you can count them, and review names and sounds.

Favorite book
My son is now 1 year but this has been a FAVORITE book since he was 3 months and we have alot of books. The pages are thick cardboard, the flaps are easy for him to turn, the pictures are bright and adorable!

Where is my baby?
This book makes wonderful use of flaps. The momma animal says, "Where is my baby?" with a sad look on her face on the left side of the page. A partial flap on the right side covers the baby animal, but not the rest of the picture, making the flap easy to grab and turn. The words under the flap says, "Here is my _____." [it fills in the blank with the appropriate name of the baby animal] It has been one of my son's favorite books since he was 12 months old! The pages are made of sturdy material helping it hold up to many "self" readings by my son! The lively colored art keeps both child and parents' attention. A must buy! I am giving it to every child on our Holiday list this year. ... Read more

Book Description

Children love to imitate animals, and this rhyming text invites them to join right in and squeal, hiss, and hoot along with all the noisy forest animals. Caldecott-winning artist Simms Taback's buoyant illustrations are coupled with a great read-aloud, chant-along text that make this book a must for toddlers and other small human animals. ... Read more

Book Description

Scooting, slithering, flapping, and twisting! What kind of walking can you do today? Can you scoot like a crab? Bend like a starfish? Fly like a seagull looking for a fish?A new additional to this successful series of board books, Beach Party! invites readers to join the parade of animals and imitate their sounds as they all head to the beach. This wonderful rhyming text will delight children of all ages. They will surely want to jump to their feet and move! Caldecott-winning artist Simms Taback's rich and vibrant illustrations bring a day at the beach to life. This sturdy board book format is perfect for little hands. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very funny jokes!
This book has some funny Jokes: Question: What kind of snake can you find on the front of your car? Answer: A Windshield Viper! Question: In what river are you sure to find snakes? Answer: The Hississippi! Question: What does a Boa Constrictor say when it's introduced to a chicken? Answer: Pleased to eat you! There are some funny jokes in this book! ... Read more

Book Description

The new land holds a world full of promise for a poor young man who comes to it with a strong back, a warm heart, and unfailing good humor. With its bouncy, cumulative verse and colorful, detail-packed illustrations, this is the perfect introduction to an exciting chapter in American history.

"Catchy and fun....A grand story about a brave generation who won't soon be forgotten." --Kirkus Reviews

"Humor and rhythm dominate." --The New York Times Book Review ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Old american folk-tune, illustrated with charming pictures.
I don't know how this could be considered "re-told" as it says on the cover. These words are not new. They are the lyrics to an old folk song. The illustrations, however, are original, and they illustrate the song in a folk art style that synchronises nicely with the story that the lyrics tell. ... Read more