Introduces children to compassion and charitable giving through the story of a hand-me-down coat. The main character Elise desires her big sister's winter coat and rejoices when she is finally big enough to wear it. Her joy is short-lived though when she sees a child experiencing homelessness and suffering from the cold weather. Elise just can't pass by without helping.

I really did want to enjoy this, and of course I did like the overall moral of the story.

A young girl has waited ages for her older sister to finally outgrow her red coat so that it can finally be hers! She’s waited ages, and its finally time! She wears her new (to her) coat to school one day when she notices a homeless woman and her child on the sidewalk, being ignored by all who pass them.

The following day, the girl makes the choice to give her coat to the young girl and comes to realize that the joy of helping others outshines the joy we find in material possessions.

The moral was great, but the execution was a bit lacking. I personally feel like it would be better for the girl to have collected the clothes she was no longer wearing to give to the less fortunate, instead of giving away the coat that finally fit her properly.

This is an interesting book, told from a small child’s point of view. She has been longing for a hand-me-down coat from her sister. It is just what she needs. It fits perfectly. She loves it, and her friends love that she has it.

And then, she sees a homeless woman and child, shivering in the cold. She doesn’t know what to do. No one else seems to see them. They look the other way, they ignore her. Is that what she is supposed to do too?

And so, we learn that despite loving the coat so much that she dreams about it at night, she is willing to give it up to the child so she won’t freeze.

A story in compassion, when the rest of the world just keeps walking by.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Sweet story, lovely illustrations. Great message. But I felt it ended a bit abruptly. Maybe another page or two showing more clearly that she was at school, cold, but happy she gave away the coat. Thanks to author, illustrator, publisher and NetGalley for preview copy.

A sweet little book with an important message but I think it gets lost a little. There is so much build up to this glorious red coat (I'm not sure most kids are THAT excited about a hand me down coat!) that the ending is almost anticlimactic. I would have liked to see more emphasis on how it's important not to look away and that it always feels better to give...even better when giving away a prized possession, to someone else who truly needs it more than you do.

A beautifully illustrated picture book offering a simple,very effective lesson in compassion. The story is relatable & told at a child's level & the accompanying pictures go right along with it. It's a very nice story to share with a little one, & might inspire some good conversation. I'd guess the target audience might be 4-8 y/o's? A good book for every library!
I received a complimentary e-ARC from publisher Flyaway Books via NetGalley in return for reading it & offering my own fair/honest review.

I never experienced a book that discussed homelessness in the way that this sweet book does. I recommend this story to many classrooms so that children can understand sympathy, empathy, and caring for their fellow people, including children their age.

Furthermore, the pacing's quick, and the illustrations are lovely.

4/5

The aspect of this story that I loved was the little girl’s appreciation for a hand-me-down coat. In this age of everyone wanting the shiny, new thing, her joy and anticipation at receiving her sister’s coat was a welcome change. The author got across the problem of homelessness in an age appropriate fashion. The illustrations were engaging. I’d recommend this for a home, classroom, or library for age 4–grade 4. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Elise has had her eye on her big sister's beautiful red coat forever. It's warm, it's bright, it has pockets! Finally, Elise is big enough to wear it and she proudly does so on the way to school. That is, until she sees a homeless mother and daughter sitting in the snow, huddled under one thin, ragged blanket. One look is all it takes, Elise can have no peace. Other people walk on by, turning away or looking at their phones, but all Elise can think about is how cold that little girl must be and how warm her own red coat is. Does Elise have the power or the strength to make a difference?

Adorable illustrations and a simple story that teaches kindness without being didactic. Beautiful!


Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wow- this was a first for me. A children's book that tackles the topic of homelessness? This is important and done in a very realistic way. There can be many discussions from this book, which is what I look for in a book that's appropriate for therapy. There has to be a message, problem, etc. to make it a worthwhile therapeutic book. It's never too early to start building empathy in our children and this book is a great place to start.

I received an electronic ARC from Flyaway Books through NetGalley.
A subtle message about caring for others. Elise could not wait to get her sister Mia's bright red coat when she outgrew it. She tried to wait patiently but was not always successful. Finally, the day arrived and she got to wear the coat for the first time. On the way to school, she sees a homeless mother and daughter and it makes her think about what she has and what they don't. Readers see her think about this and then draw a conclusion from the final illustration to see how Elise responds. I appreciate that the actual giving is done without fanfare nor need to illustrate it. This allows readers to think and ponder ways they can help others too.

The Coat tells the poignant, heartwarming story of Elise and the warm, snuggly red coat that she has been wishing for. It combines the themes of poverty, homelessness and empathising with others less fortunate and includes a wonderful ending that comes in an unexpected way.

Elise has been waiting for her sister Mia to grow out of her beautiful red coat so that she can wear it. Finally the day comes and Elise wears it to school. But while walking to school Elise sees a homeless mother and her daughter shivering in the cold. Elise can’t stop thinking about them and after a sleepless night she makes a big decision.

We love the whimsical illustrations which use colour to portray different moods throughout the story. Bright colours at the beginning make way for muted blues and greys as Elise contemplates the homeless family’s situation and the emotions that it evokes.

The Coat (Hardcover)
by Séverine Vidal
a young girl anticipates growing up to own her older sisters coat. The first day she is to wear it, she sees a poor family not prepared for the weather. She has compassion for the little girl just like her. The book shows charity, compassion and observation. Her connection to the poor girl, the understanding that she can help its a great inspirational story for young students to show that they can do something for someone else.

Wow! I saw it coming and this book still knocked my socks off! That doesn't usually happen with children's stories. This book is PRECIOUS!

In addition to a wonderful message, the prose and illustrations are just as perfect. Love, love, love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance read copy in exchange for an honest review. This is by far my favorite childrens story of the year. The author is Severine Vidal and the illustrator is Louis Thomas and the publisher is Flyaway Books. Fantastic!

Adding to my personal "best of 2022 shelf" as well.

I think this is a beautiful story and it has a beautiful message. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I do feel like the tone shift of the book is so abrupt as to be jarring. I do not mind the shift, mind you, just that there is no craft in it. Especially for kids, I think this might be too swift of a tonal change. I do believe that kids (even very young kids) should be exposed to realities so that they can ask questions and find answers, this is a perfect book to open up a good conversation with children, but it doesn't hold up for an adult read (and yes, I have read many that do) But this is still good! I was a bit miffed that I couldn't find who is responsible for the translation into English.

The Coat took an expected twist and I loved it.

I think every child could relate to waiting or hoping for something for what feels like forever. Sometimes you realize there are more important things then the object your waiting for. Perhaps someone needs it a bit more then you.

A great book to start discussions and teach children about homelessness and helping our fellow earth dwellers

The Coat is a story about a young girl who is super excited to inherit her older sister's fabulous red coat... Until she encounters a family experiencing homelessness whose need is far greater than hers. This story is sweet, tender, and compassionate. My kids loved it!

Thank you to Flaway Books and NetGalley for providing us with an advance reader copy to review!

For all the little ones who have waited on beloved hand me downs or idolized a piece of clothing – this one is for them. When a little girl finally gets her older sister’s beautiful red coat, she is immediately over the moon with happiness. This happiness is slightly abated by her new worry – that if she wears the coat she will mess it up or lose it. The little girl’s joy over her coat, though, is shattered, when she sees a homeless woman freezing in the bitter cold snow. Despite all of the compliments her friends give her when she wears the coat to school, she just can’t get the thought of that cold woman out of her mind. In the end after a sleepless night, she decides to give some precious candy to the homeless woman and her child, instead of just walking by and ignoring them. And the good deed she deed keeps her warmer than her beloved coat. This is the perfect reminder to the little ones about the importance of kindness, generosity, and good deeds, and was absolutely precious!

Adorable, hand painted illustrations bring a sense of whimsy to a book that has an underlying powerful theme about homelessness and caring for others in need.

The book has a lighthearted tone when Elise finally gets the bright red coat she has been waiting forever to call her own. It's warm and cozy and perfect for cold winter days. But, when she runs into a young homeless girl with no coat of her own, Elise is put into a difficult situation and faces a moral dilemma. Keep the jacket she has longed for so long for, or help the little girl who clearly needs the coat more than she does.

Elise learns a valuable lesson about kindness and empathy as she chooses to give her coat away and share the food she has with the homeless girl and her mother.

This story was both entertaining and educational, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating social-emotional skills and topics such as this into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach an important life skill in a way that is fun. This would be an amazing addition for classroom libraries, counselling offices and more.