Retold by: Jim Aylesworth
Illustrated by: Barbara McClintock
Published by: Scholastic Press, New York
Lexile Reading Level:AD910L
"My grandfather loved the coat,
and he wore it,
and he wore it.
And little bit
by little bit,
he frayed it
and he tore it,
until at last . . .
he wore it out!"
Summary: A story retold and based on the Yiddish Folksong "I Had a Little Overcoat". ("Hob Ikg Mir a Mantl"). It tells the story of a man who came to America with "little more than nothing at all". He works hard as a tailor and eventually marries. He makes a new coat for his wedding. The coat wears out so he takes the worn coat and makes it into a vest, etc. until the coat eventually becomes a nest for a little mouse.
Learning Objectives: A simple children's story that is fun to read with rhyming verse and repeated phrases. There is a deeper meaning to be found in the text though. With teacher direction students will learn that many immigrants come to the United States with little or no possessions. They do however have many valuable qualities that can help them find success in their new home. The author's note states, "(the) immigrants who came to America from everywhere in the world, they typically brought with them the attributes of hard work, thrift, and conservation, which served them well as they built their new lives here."
This story could also be used as a resource for folklore or storytelling.
