When the father of a large family makes a beautiful winter coat, little does he know how much use it will get. Little Gedalia wears the coat with pride all year, but when it gets too tight for him—he’s a growing boy, after all—it’s given to his sister, Yeshaya. Thus begins the journey of the coat, as it’s passed down from child to child—from the sweet Haya to the rambunctious Efraim and so on—falling apart bit by bit during their play until it’s in tatters. Drawn in a clean-line style with a pleasingly muted color palette, The Life of a Coat is a charming portrait of a loving family. Based on the beloved Yiddish poem by the Polish poet Kadya Molodowsky, this gently humorous tale will delight young readers and their parents.
