School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2 In the tradition of Beskow's Pelle's New Suit (Harper, 1929), Ziefert tells the story of Anna's new coat. In contrast to the warmth of Pelle's Swedish mountain village is the war-torn town in post-World War II Eastern Europe in which Anna and her mother live. While Pelle trades chores for the making of his suit, Anna's mother trades treasured possessions from better daysa gold watch, a teapot, a lamp, and a necklace. Ziefert's writing is clear and succinct, but it is in Lobel's brightly colored paintings that the story truly unfolds. From crumbling rooms cluttered with mementos of a better life to the charm of the tiny sheep farm, the illustrations bring to life another time, another place, and a little girl whose delight in her new coat is just as great as that of many a young reader of this book. The expressiveness of the faces in Lobel's paintings brings life to the story. Ziefert's tale, based on a true story, carries a simple lesson that will be understood and cherished by all ages. Susan Scheps, Bertram Woods Library, Shaker Heights, Ohio (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A rebuilding of the country after war and the gradual attainment of a much-needed new coat are deftly woven themes, luminously portrayed by Lobel. Ages 4-8. (April) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Beskow's classic Pelle's New Suit told the story of outgrown clothing replaced by bartering labor for wool, spinning, weaving, and sewing; now Ziefert sets it in postwar Europe, where Anna's mother trades cherished possessions--a gold watch, a garnet necklace--to acquire the much-needed garment. The war is over, but shops are still empty, even of food, and no one has money. This coat is a year in the making: the wool must grow all winter while Anna shivers in her old coat, the lingonberries for the dye must ripen all summer. When the new red coat is ready at last, Anna, like Pelle, shows it off to everyone who helped make it, and on Christmas Day she returns to thank the sheep. With its boarded-up windows and winter landscapes, this is more sober than most of Lobel's work, although her flair for decorative repetition appears in subtle ways: in the herd of sheep, the hanks of yam, scenes repeated in a mirror. Pictured details, such as the shabby, cozy garret home crowded with surviving treasures and family pictures, add substantial information to the text. A warmly satisfying variation on a familiar story. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. This has been a fine season for coats. First there was The Purple Coat (Booklist 83:62 S 1 86), and now comes this fresh and moving story of a mother's dedication to acquire a coat for her daughter in post-World War II hard times. The opening picture shows what appears to be a bombed-out Berlin (though no location is given). It has been a long time since young Anna has had a new coat, and her mother has promised that after the war is over she will have one. But even though peace is at hand, the stores are empty, and money is scarce. Anna's mother decides she will trade the few valuables she has left for a coat, but the process is a long one. First, Mother trades a gold watch to the farmer for wool, which only comes when the sheep are shorn in the spring. The fleece is brought to an old woman, who spins the wool into yarn in exchange for a lamp. Anna wants a red coat, so Mother dyes the yarn with lingonberry juice. Then the yarn is taken to the weaver, who makes cloth in exchange for a necklace. Finally, a china teapot is given to the tailor in return for actually making the beautiful red coat. Anna and her mother are so pleased with the result that they give a Christmas party for all the people who helped. Both text and pictures are thoughtful yet filled with spirit. Lobel's full-color pictures have the effect of old photographs and do a tremendous job of evoking the period. Her characters' simply drawn faces manage to convey a variety of emotions, and readers will follow attentively as each picture brings Anna's coat closer to becoming a reality. Insightful and informative on a number of levels, this may make children consider how precious the ordinary can become in times of turmoil. IC. Coats Fiction [CIP] 86-2722