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List Price: $6.99 | | Publisher: HarperTrophy
Salesrank: 294538
Released: January 18, 1996 |
| Our Price: $3.26 |
| Used Price: $2.47 |
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
Winter is coming to Tennessee and there's no money to buy a new coat, so a little girl's mama sews one for her out of rags. The little girl wears it to school proudly, and when the other children laugh, she gives them a quick lesson about what it means to be rich. Judith Sutton's beautiful paintings bring one of Dolly Parton's best-loved songs to life. "The heartfelt verses are imbued with the same genuine, infectiously likeable spirit Parton herself projects."'Publishers Weekly.
Description of Coat of Many Colors:
The rolling hills of Tennessee farmland, framed in lovely patchwork quilt patterns, set the stage for Dolly Parton's (of Grand Ol' Opry fame) warm childhood memories. The text comes directly from Parton's autobiographical hit country and western song of the same name. Perhaps the grammar is imperfect, but what C&W song ain't rife with grammatical errors--it's part of the vernacular. The story centers on a poor, but happy and loving, family (yes, they do exist) who find clever ways to deal with their poverty. As winter approaches, Mama sews a coat for her daughter from a box of scraps that someone has given her. Of course her classmates make fun of her for having a coat made of rags. But sticks and stones... "And although we had no money / I was rich as I could be / in my coat of many colors / that Mama made for me." That doesn't mean the child's feelings aren't hurt, or that she didn't feel angry. But the message comes through loud and clear (like Parton's voice): the child's mother has provided her with the strength to deal with other children's jeers, and family love can sometimes be enough to pull a person through.
Coat of Many Colors Reviews:
Only poor if you choose to be! 
2008-07-12 - Coat of Many Colors is Dolly Parton's most autobiographical song, and it is beautifully transformed into this splendid children's book that families will love to share.
Dolly needed a coat, and her mother sewed her one made of a box of donated rags. As she sewed, she told her the story of Joseph from the Bible and his Coat of Many Colors, and she taught her to see the value of what is really important, despite the taunts of others too blind to see the real truth.
This is a gorgeous book worth its weight in gold!
Nice book
2008-05-23 - We rented this book from the library and my daughter cried when we had to give it back.. So we purchased it. It is exactly like the song and the pictures are really cute.
Better than Expected 
2008-02-08 - My Mother-in-Law was an avid quilter and collector of children's books that had anything to do with quilting and sewing. When she passed away, I inherited this book. Upon receipt of it, I took one look at it and tossed it aside, believing that... because it was written by Dolly Parton ... it would be overly sentimental, sappy and irrelevant. I just haven't found that big-name celebrities make for great children's book authors.
BUT, I was wrong. Though this book simply follows the lyrics of one of her songs, it is so well spoken in book form ... and is abridged perfectly. The illustrator puts lovely, subtle, yet powerful images to the lyrics as well.
The message is much less didactic than I assumed it to be. And the story basically shows how one little girl felt immense gratitude for what little she had in life (compared to her peers) because what she did have was enough ... and her life was filled with love. This humble little girl receives some teasing for a "coat of many colors" that her Mama made of scrap fabrics ... but the way the girl handles the teasing is wonderful ... because she is secure with who she is and what she has ... thanks to her Mama's teaching.
This is a book that I now share with my 3 year old son. Though we are not "lacking" financially ... I am always making him his clothes & toys, etc. so that he appreciates handiwork and the love that goes into creating things for others. Plastic toys are a dime a dozen ... but a "Coat of many Colors" is a treasure forever. This book is a wonderful way for me to keep exhibiting that idea.
I would say that the target age for this book is 3-7 years old.
Enjoy!
Late arrival with no explanation 
2008-01-19 - Book and DVD's were fine but delivery was not. I ordered the items 2 weeks before Christmas and did not get it until December 28th. Estimated date on website said December 24th. Amazon even advertised on the home screen that "orders placed today delivered on or before December 24th".
If I could have at least gotten an email notification that the items would be late, then I could cancel or buy another little gift to give in place of the late items. No information at all, just late items. My bad...I was hoping for the best and did not prepare for the worse. Now I wish I would have cancelled. Most orders from Amazon have been great...just don't take them for their word when they promise orders by December 24th. Go to the store and get something else, bring it home and wrap it up so it will be ready to give.... just in case Amazon can't live up to their "Delivered by December 24th" statement.
A Modern Classic
2008-01-16 - Beautifully illustrated, this gem of a children's book should find a place in every child's library. Dolly's memorable story stays with me always. "Coat of Many Colors" adapts nicely to a childen's tale and reminds the reader that it's not nice to make fun of people, and what's on your back is not as important as what is in your heart.
