Book Review #91

Coat Of Many Colors

Author: Dolly Parton
Illustrator: Brooke Boynton Hughes
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap, 2016
ISBN: 978-0451532374
Reading Level: Ages 4-8

Main Character: Dolly - (A young girl inspired by Dolly Parton's own childhood experiences.)

Plot: This is the story of Dolly, a girl growing up in a rural setting. The plot revolves around the special gift her mother creates for her—a coat made from rags of different colors. 

Settings: The story takes place in a small rural community where Dolly and her family reside. This includes the family's home, and Dolly's school.

 

Genre/Theme/Style: Children's Literature, Love, Family, Self-acceptance, Resilience, and Biblical Learning.

I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? Dolly Parton is such an inspiration! I first loved the song this book was based on and now the children's book. It is a beautiful book that relates to the Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. 

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors."

~ Genesis 37:3 KJV

Critical Analysis:

Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors would be a great addition to any library, as it speaks to multiple generations. It conveys a meaningful message about love, acceptance, and the strength to be oneself.

"Country singer/songwriter Parton has,

 with illustrator Boynton-Hughes, turned her famous song "Coat of Many Colors" into a delightful and evocative picture book. Dolly grew up in rural Tennessee, where love was plentiful but money was scarce. Her mother was given a box of fabric scraps, but with winter coming, Dolly needed a coat. So as the song relates, Dolly's mother pieced together the scraps and made her daughter a "coat of many colors." As she sewed, she told Dolly the Bible story of Joseph's coat of many colors. Of course, Dolly's schoolmates didn't see her coat as special, and they laughed and made fun of her. Parton tells readers that the hurt did not go away until, as an adult, she sat down and wrote this song. This title reminds children that bullying hurts and doesn't help anyone. Boynton-Hughes presents Dolly as a blonde, curly-haired moppet, so happy to be wearing her multihued coat. The bright fall colors give the book vibrancy. The illustrations also depict the love that was abundant in the Parton family." 

 ~Elaine Lesh Morgan, 

School Library Journal

Connections: Dolly Parton's 

Imagination Library