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The Coat
A bold and original picture book that will lift you off your feet and whirl you away The Coat stands in a paddock at the end of a row of strawberries. It is buttoned up tight and stuffed full of straw and it is angry. "What a waste of me!" it yells. Then along comes a man. "I could do with a coat like that," the man says. Together, swooping and swinging, they travel to the Cafe Delitzia, where the man finds he has magical talents courtesy of the coat, and together they give the performance of a lifetime.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
70 people want to read
About the author
Julie Hunt
17 books10 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Julie Hunt has written poetry and performed with the Kazakstan Kowgerls. When she wrote Little Else: Trick Rider, she discovered that one book didn’t have enough room for this daring little heroine who left home with just a lucky horseshoe nail and the ability to talk to horses.
Julie Hunt has written poetry and performed with the Kazakstan Kowgerls. When she wrote Little Else: Trick Rider, she discovered that one book didn’t have enough room for this daring little heroine who left home with just a lucky horseshoe nail and the ability to talk to horses.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 27, 2012
Julie Hunt's whimsical writing combines beautifully with Ron Brooks' artwork in this gorgeous story of a coat that feels it is being wasted as a scarecrow. A book for adults as well as children.
June 20, 2023
A magical coat stuck as a scarecrow takes a passing man on a whirlwind journey to the Big Smoke. Escaping their monochromatic world, to a riotous party in full colour.
August 12, 2014
The artwork in this book is truly stunning but the story was only okay.
July 14, 2018
“The Coat” is an exquisite looking picture book that presents a magical fable for a contemporary audience. A disappointed looking man is beckoned by a coat on a scarecrow to wear it and when he does, he is carried to the city and a performance of a lifetime.
The cover of the book presents an image that looks like an angel and alerts the reader that they are about to read something special. The front endpapers show a countryside devoid of colour, which looks bleak and lonely. The mood of the book opens with the statement that the coat is angry! Why? It feels it is being wasted and when it sees a man walking past, it beckons and urges the man to wear it. While all this happens, the illustrator uses only one colour, a sepia tone to support the story. Once the coat and man decide to go to the city and the coat enables the man to fly, a hint of colour is introduced. As the story progresses from here and the man learns, gains confidence and grows into the coat, more and more colour is added to the illustrations, ending with the back endpapers, showing a countryside filled with sunlight and hope.
The text is presented in a script font which can be a little difficult to see when reading to a class, but as a student pointed out, it shows that the picture book is for older readers.
After reading the book aloud in the classroom, there can be much for students to discuss in terms of what the story is telling the reader about learning from experience and gaining confidence. An excellent resource in the curriculum area of English, students will gain much from it when looking at the elements of visual literacy and fables. The book can also be used in Religious Education and PDHPE by showing the reader that the talents we each have should not be wasted and we should never be scared to take risks and try possibilities.
The cover of the book presents an image that looks like an angel and alerts the reader that they are about to read something special. The front endpapers show a countryside devoid of colour, which looks bleak and lonely. The mood of the book opens with the statement that the coat is angry! Why? It feels it is being wasted and when it sees a man walking past, it beckons and urges the man to wear it. While all this happens, the illustrator uses only one colour, a sepia tone to support the story. Once the coat and man decide to go to the city and the coat enables the man to fly, a hint of colour is introduced. As the story progresses from here and the man learns, gains confidence and grows into the coat, more and more colour is added to the illustrations, ending with the back endpapers, showing a countryside filled with sunlight and hope.
The text is presented in a script font which can be a little difficult to see when reading to a class, but as a student pointed out, it shows that the picture book is for older readers.
After reading the book aloud in the classroom, there can be much for students to discuss in terms of what the story is telling the reader about learning from experience and gaining confidence. An excellent resource in the curriculum area of English, students will gain much from it when looking at the elements of visual literacy and fables. The book can also be used in Religious Education and PDHPE by showing the reader that the talents we each have should not be wasted and we should never be scared to take risks and try possibilities.
June 27, 2020
Was this book any good?
For a children’s book the font was completely unreadable. How is a child supposed to understand cursive font.
The story was fine, but not worth reading again.
Who signed off on this book?
For a children’s book the font was completely unreadable. How is a child supposed to understand cursive font.
The story was fine, but not worth reading again.
Who signed off on this book?
January 19, 2024
This was bizarre, but I liked it. A man steals a coat off a sort of scarecrow in a field, but the coat wants to be stolen. He takes the man to a restaurant, and the man somehow becomes a musician. I don't know why I found this so satisfying, but I did.
September 12, 2020
Just what I needed... Immersion into colour of the art as well as the journey
December 2, 2020
Magical, whimsical, beautiful!
November 14, 2022
This book is definitely amazing.
May 31, 2019
This book really irked me. Even the kids that I have read to hate the book. With a couple of exceptions who liked it just for the illustrations.
It was horrible to read, as the scrawly writing blended into the background and there was not even the minutest amount of sense. Just because it is a children's story does not mean there should not be unexplained inconsistencies. Why did he accept the coat talking without a second thought but everyone else was like "HE'S A VENTRILOQUIST"? And why did HE GROW, instead of the coat shrinking to fit him?
The illustration was fantastic though, I loved the gradual shifting into colour and the landscapes were magnificent.
It was horrible to read, as the scrawly writing blended into the background and there was not even the minutest amount of sense. Just because it is a children's story does not mean there should not be unexplained inconsistencies. Why did he accept the coat talking without a second thought but everyone else was like "HE'S A VENTRILOQUIST"? And why did HE GROW, instead of the coat shrinking to fit him?
The illustration was fantastic though, I loved the gradual shifting into colour and the landscapes were magnificent.
September 13, 2012
Wow, what a beautiful story! The text and illustrations work together in a gorgeous way to describe a magical coat that is offended just sitting out in the middle of a field and the magical experience a human has when he decides to go and put the coat on. I loved the fantasy element of this story and was drawn to all the illustrations. I look forward to finding more books in my new library created by both the author and illustrator!
August 30, 2013
An unusual book, a redemptive story. While the cursive font looks pretty I'm not sure that it works all that well in a picture book.
http://astrongbeliefinwicker.blogspot...
http://astrongbeliefinwicker.blogspot...
September 6, 2013
Imaginitive, nice illustrations, and a sort of otherworldly feel. I found it somewhat dull, but it could be some introverted kid's nice escape on a rainy day. The kids in my classes didn't care too much for it.
April 17, 2014
Wholly spectacular in every way, from the writing, to the illustration to the book design.
June 20, 2013
Breughel-y, Chagallesque, floaty and fanciful but not slight.
September 8, 2013
Hard to read, because of the cursive font printed over the top of the illustrations.
September 10, 2016
Imaginative and fun.
October 16, 2015
Very pretty picture book.
November 28, 2013
Good resource for teaching personification; has very mixed reviews- i loved it!!
January 18, 2018
Such a beautiful magical story and illustrations
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews